The Green group in the European Parliament has written to the European Commission, urging it to take “urgent” action in response to widespread agricultural protests across Europe by deeply reforming the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which they believe is not effective.
Addressed to the Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Competition and Agriculture Commissioners Margrethe Vestager and Januzs Wojciechowski, and the Vice-President for the European Green Deal, Maros Sefcovic, the letter highlights the root of the protests: most farmers are unable to make a living from their work, trapped in a system that crushes them. The Greens argue that the liberalization of agricultural markets has failed and call for a new direction.
They suggest a comprehensive reform of the CAP to ensure fair distribution of aid, reintroduction of market regulation tools to stabilize prices, creation of rural jobs, and progress in ecological transition. Specifically, the Greens demand a reform of the directive on unfair trading practices to ban loss-leading sales and call for an investigation into agri-food oligopolies to ensure fairer value distribution in the sector. Additionally, they urge the Commission to halt negotiations on the Mercosur trade deal, arguing that trade agreements must align with agroecological transition efforts.
