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- Written by Kathryn Armstrong
- BBC news
Farmers in several EU countries are trying to pressure the EU and its governments to address their grievances
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced plans to withdraw a proposal to halve pesticide use across the EU.
The move is a clear concession to farmers who have been protesting in many EU countries against regulations that include planned cuts in pesticide use.
Ms von der Leyen said the proposal had become a “symbol of polarization”.
The cancellation still needs to be formally approved.
The pesticide cuts are one of a number of grievances that farmers in countries such as France, Belgium and the Netherlands have been protesting in recent weeks.
They argue that reducing the amount of pesticides allowed to be used would have a negative impact on crops, thus putting the EU’s food production at risk.
“Our farmers’ voices deserve to be heard,” von der Leyen told the European Parliament on Tuesday.
“I know they are worried about the future of agriculture and their future as farmers.”
Von der Leyen also said that the problem of pesticide use was not resolved yet and that further discussions were needed to submit new proposals to reduce pesticide use.
The EU aimed to halve the use of chemicals by 2030 as part of its Green Deal to tackle climate change.
The proposal also included a ban on the use of pesticides in areas such as public parks and gardens, schools and playgrounds.
The plan has already faced problems and was rejected by the European Parliament in November.
Tuesday’s announcement that it would be scrapped was welcomed by some, including the European farmers’ group COPA-COGECA.
The group’s president, Christiane Lambert, said the European Union’s executive body, the European Commission, had “finally admitted that this approach was not the right one”.
“This top-down proposal…was poorly designed, poorly evaluated, poorly funded, and offered farmers few alternatives,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Other MPs opposed the U-turn, including Green MP Bas Eichhout. He urged von der Leyen to come up with new plans to reduce pesticide use.
He said doing so is in everyone’s interest, including farmers.
The EU faces increasing demands from member states to change its approach to climate change following growing farmers’ protests.
On Tuesday, it also recommended cutting net greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 compared to 2015 levels, although certain demands on the agricultural sector were cut.
European Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra, who announced the proposal, said: “We need to take a balanced approach.”
“The majority of the population is aware of the effects of climate change and wants to protect it, but they are also concerned about how it will affect their lives.”
The emissions announcement did not satisfy some people, including Alexandre Fondra, a member of the eurosceptic European Conservative and Reform group.
He described the EU targets as “unrealistic ambitions”, according to Reuters.
Tuesday’s announcement came nearly a week after the EU announced it would make its first concessions to farmers and delay rules forcing them to leave some land unused to protect the environment. .
Meanwhile, protests continue.
Hundreds of farmers took to the streets in Spain and Bulgaria on Tuesday, blocking roads and causing severe disruption for motorists.
Like other farmers, they want more flexibility from the EU, tighter controls on non-EU crops and more support from governments.
Greek farmers are also discussing the possibility of blocking major roads to force the government to agree to their demands.
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