The European Commission proposed relaxing some environmental demands on farmers by easing administration and cutting the number of checks in a bid to assuage angry protests from the agriculture sector.
“The message from farmers is clear: they want to be working in their fields, not stuck behind files,” EU agriculture commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski wrote on X.
Wojciechowski added: “In response, the commission has identified a range of EU-level actions that could help to ease the administrative burden on farmers over the coming months and years.”
Farmers from various European countries, including France and Poland, have been protesting by blocking roads and disposing of their produce, raising concerns among EU leaders about potential support for the far-right in the upcoming European elections in June.
The EU, acknowledging these concerns, has proposed several measures aimed at placating the farmers.
Among the proposals set for discussion by EU agricultural ministers are the relaxation of requirements for converting farmland previously used for livestock into grassland, and a reduction in the frequency of on-site inspections by half.
European farmers have been vocal in their demands for the removal of production limits, simplification of bureaucratic processes, and revisions to the EU-Ukraine trade agreements that affect agricultural imports.
They argue that competition from Ukrainian produce, which is not subject to the same EU regulations on matters like animal welfare, has significantly reduced their income.
In response to the widespread dissatisfaction attributed to the Common Agricultural Policy and the impending “Green Deal,” Brussels has offered several concessions in recent weeks.
