The Socialists and Democrats expressed disappointment following the weak performance of Mr. Janusz Wojciechowski during today’s hearing. However our group has decided to give him a second chance. We are requesting further information from the Commissioner-designate for Agriculture before we can consider the approval of his candidacy.
Paolo de Castro, MEP and the S&D coordinator in the committee on agriculture, said:
“We expected much more detailed and ambitious answers from Mr Wojciechowski today. The risk of re-nationalisation in the Common Agriculture Policy proposal is key for us, and Mr Wojciechowski has not provided any clear strategy against this.
“This perspective undermines the most important common European policy devoted to the ambitious management of our soils and the protection of a fair balance between production, consumer health and environment. The policy does not fulfil the European-level ambition for more competitive and sustainable agriculture, which must be a leading actor in the New Green Deal, with a convincing transition toward more climate-friendly production practices.
“The written, and now the oral, replies still lack the ambition needed to both safeguard our food production, and to help ensure a sustainable future for all our citizens. What’s more, the replies about the Farm to Fork Strategy did not touch on the food supply chain, starting with the farmers.
“Our farmers have to plan long term, whichever region or sector they work in: we don´t have a clear vision at the end of today´s hearing, so we need much more before we can consider approval of the candidate.
Miriam Dalli, the S&D vice president responsible for a Green New Deal, added:
“We have not heard in any detail how the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) will contribute to the EU´s Green New Deal Strategy. This is an absolute priority for our group. CAP now has to become the tool to both safeguard our food production and to help ensure a sustainable future for all our citizens.
“That is why we need much more assurance from the Commissioner-designate that the CAP will be integrated in the Green New Deal Strategy, by supporting low carbon and nature-friendly farming. The CAP must be treated as the main policy tool to help the farming sector to be more environmentally friendly.”
