Debate contributions by Daniel BUDA

I understand your question and it is extremely important to understand, colleagues, that there is a need for a balanced intervention on what river courses mean, so that they can be regularised in order to prevent floods, on the one hand; on the other hand, these watercourses can be used for what is meant by the development of the irrigation system. However, I repeat, there is a need for balanced approaches on the part of all decision-makers, so that we can coexist, in good harmony, man and nature.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen colleagues, holding your mother until her last breath, trying to save her from the middle of the waters, is just one of the shocking stories in Romania, where at least seven people have lost their lives and many more are missing. Every death has its own story. Every loss leaves families destroyed, homeless, unsafe. In addition to the loss of life, local economies developed along rivers, such as, but not limited to, agricultural holdings, are heavily affected. Unfortunately, such situations have happened in many European countries and we must be aware that such phenomena tend to become a normality. We cannot restore lost lives, but we can offer hope to those who remain. The European Commission, through the Solidarity Fund and the Civil Protection Mechanism, must stand by Romania and every European state hit by the floods, so that essential services are quickly restored and life can return to normality. At the same time, the European Commission will have to develop, together with the Member States, comprehensive plans for the efficient management of watercourses, the regularisation of rivers and the construction of dams in flood-prone areas. However, the Member States alone cannot meet the costs of reconstruction, so I call on the European Commission to identify financial resources for both the increase in the Solidarity Fund and the investments to be made by the Member States.

Mr President, I believe that a balanced approach is needed and farmers are the most important fighters in what it means to protect the environment. Following a structured dialogue, if you will, between environmental activists and farmers, we will surely find the best solutions to guarantee food security at European Union level.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, today we are faced with a long series of debates on the future of European agriculture, and the document ‘Structured Dialogue for Agriculture’ is welcome and provides a solid basis for discussion. However, solutions need to be carefully considered. In assessing this document, ladies and gentlemen, and future agricultural policies, we must start from a fundamental principle: the need to ensure food security at European Union level. In this context, I would like to send a strong message to the European Commission. Commissioner, direct payments must remain a tool at the disposal of farmers, as they are a safety belt for them, without necessarily being conditional on achieving environmental objectives that are sometimes almost impossible to achieve. Second, any environmental responsibility imposed on farmers must be properly compensated. No farmer should be forced to do more with less. I also reject any subliminal message of stigmatisation of animal products. The European Commission, in my view, should recalibrate its discourse and promote a balanced diet that also includes animal products, not just a plant-based diet. At the same time, importantly, products imported from third countries must meet the same quality standards, because the import of products, foods containing substances prohibited in the European Union, seems to me to be deeply immoral for both farmers and consumers. Commissioner, I know that you are close to the agricultural sector because you were a member of the Committee on Agriculture. The message is very important. The CAP needs adequate funding to be able to put everyday food on the table.