Speeches

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, I've talked countless times about the growing danger of wolves spreading. Countless letters addressed to the Commission, countless talks held and countless hours worked on a European Parliament resolution on wolves. But still in every grazing season countless farm animals die an agonizing death. And our farming families are still suffering the most because of the large carnivores. And we still see that the wolves multiply by around 30% every year, so that we now have almost 20,000 specimens in Europe scientifically proven. We can and we just don't want to accept it anymore. The president has changed course and speaks of a growing threat to farm animals and a potential threat to humans. Now is the time for these words to be followed by action. We need to adapt the protection status to reality, which paves the way for meaningful wolf management in the EU. Otherwise, someone in this house will have to answer for the end of pasture farming. Action and understanding are needed now.

Mr President, Commissioner! The own-initiative report on food security is urgently needed. Actually, he's long overdue. We are currently facing three major crises in Europe: The war in Ukraine, high inflation and, of course, climate change. Therefore, I would like to list three reasons why we need to strengthen our domestic food production and thus farmers, instead of weakening it through management restrictions, obligations, bans and unfavourable trade agreements such as Mercosur. Firstly: We see through the war in Ukraine that the world's food supply is extremely fragile. World markets have reacted immediately, and grain prices on the stock market have risen rapidly. Only strong European production and sufficient security of supply can mitigate these effects of such crises on Europe and, on the other hand, make it possible to help regions at risk of hunger in times of crisis. Secondly: Citizens are suffering from high inflation. Right now, we also need to look at those who are currently struggling to afford life. Policies that restrict our production, i.e. put a strain on farmers, can only exacerbate the situation and are completely out of place.

Mr President, esteemed Commissioner! I travel during every free minute, where I am not here in Strasbourg or Brussels, in the municipalities, in the regions of my home country Austria. I visit farms, I exchange ideas with farmers and talk to them, of course also about their views on the Commission's ideas. I have to tell you quite honestly that the answers make me deeply concerned as a ardent, convinced European. Unfortunately, as a practicing farmer and forester, I can fully understand her. Our farmers can no longer. With every new proposal that comes their way, they face an avalanche of obligations, controls and prohibitions. They just don't come with you anymore. You are wondering: Can I still practice the profession I have learned, manage the business that has been handed down for tens of generations, just as I have learned and how I have been doing it successfully and sustainably for years? Or have I just become the administrator of a piece of land where I can implement EU laws? If a professional group is so obliged, if only management restrictions or even set-asides are discussed, what do you think these people feel like? It's about people who have been making money from these lands and farming for generations and who not only feed their families, but all of us together. We are committed to the EU Green Deal, because for us land managers, comprehensive climate and environmental protection is no alternative. But the recipe for an environmentally and climate-friendly diet cannot be that we distribute the production from Europe and then ship our food from overseas in containers to Europe. The recipe for an environmentally and climate-friendly diet is regionality, seasonality and strong, resilient family farms.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, The protection of our family farms is simply a matter close to my heart. I am here in the European Parliament for them, and I would also like to work hard for them. That is why I was really delighted when I first heard about this citizens' initiative. Both issues – supporting farmers and protecting bees and other pollinators – are, in my view, essential for the successful European Green Deal and for a more successful and sustainable future for Europe. Unfortunately, however, it can already be seen at second glance that this citizens' initiative is neither about one topic nor about the other. Rather, this great title is used by NGOs as a pretext to enforce an ideology-driven ban on plant protection products. Farmers do not use plant protection products from juxtaposition and Tollerei or because they even want to harm biodiversity. They use them in an extreme emergency and no more and no less and therefore only to ensure the supply of high-quality food to the population in Europe. The consequences of a drastic and rapid reduction of plant protection products, as required, would be fatal because there are currently no viable alternatives. We would have to fall into an import trap and purchase goods from third countries that have already used banned plant protection products in our country. The fact that at the same time the Mercosur trade pact is being promoted by the EU Commission, dear colleagues, is bordering Häme on our domestic farmers. My appeal is therefore: We have practically the same goals, maybe a different approach. Let us not be driven by ideologies, but let us work with common sense and love for the best for the farmers and also for the bees.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen. We need a strong vision for Europe's rural regions, as they are a key to solving many current challenges and a benchmark for a more sustainable European economy. In addition, the countless rural communities are the backbone of our society – unfortunately, many forget this. That is why it is important to me that people in the regions are more closely involved in EU policies. Europe cannot be formed without them. The future simply cannot be shaped without them. With the long-term vision for rural areas, we are creating a forward-looking basis for future generations to be able to live well and above all gladly in rural areas. Europe needs people in the regions as well as our farmers, foresters and energy farmers. After all, they are the ones who implement the EU's legislative proposals on their soil on the way to a more independent and greener Europe and only fill them with life. Europe needs strengthened regions with good infrastructure, attractive educational and economic development opportunities. The EU Commission must refrain from contradictory legislative initiatives in the future and instead strengthen rural areas economically, ecologically and socially.

Dear Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Protecting our rural areas, our family farms, is a matter close to my heart. I am here in Parliament for them, and I want to stand up for them. On average, an alpine farmer in my home country Austria drives eleven animals to the alpine pasture – eleven animals. And if only one falls victim to the wolf, it is a catastrophe; We are already talking about about 10%. This year, such disasters have already occurred in Austria about 1,200 times. 1 200 losses for farmers, 1 200 times a great emotional burden and 1 200 times a great avoidable animal suffering. I therefore hope that, for the first time in the history of the European Parliament, a majority here in plenary will vote in favour of a sensible resolution in favour of the rural population and small-scale farming at home, livestock farming and the uncontrolled spread of wolves. There is much more at stake here, and the European Commission must see that too. It is about checking the wolf on a scientific basis, the protection status. It is not the wolf that is threatened with extinction, but our rural regions.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen. The EU Forest Strategy is crucial to the success of the EU Green Deal. We need multifunctional, sustainably managed forests if we want to achieve our climate and environmental protection goals. However, it will not be possible without the active use of the renewable resource wood and the involvement of forest owners. We must therefore clearly oppose new obstacles to the sustainable use of forests and to the strengthening of forest owners and the principle of subsidiarity in forestry policy. The forest owners are the ones who give life to the EU forest strategy with its implementation on their land, their property. They must therefore be taken into account in future legislative initiatives on forests. Just like the EU countries, the regions, the municipalities that know the diversity of Europe's forests and can create targeted forest policies. In forestry, we are ready to make a contribution with our know-how, our renewable resources. We stand ready to support the transition to a sustainable Europe and demonstrate the many benefits of Europe's multifunctional, sustainably managed forests.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! I would like to thank you all for the really lively discussion on this important report on our EU Bio-Action Plan. I may repeat once again: At its core, we agree that we want to expand and strengthen the organic sector in Europe. This goal unites us. Percentage target: We don't want to lose anyone by 2030. On the contrary: We want to win many, many Member States, many farmers. The Commission sets a very ambitious target: A tripling in less than eight years, you could say in seven and a half years. And I would like to give you another illustration: In Austria, we have increased organic land to 26% in a decades-long process. That didn't happen overnight. So please trust me! However, we have made it sustainable and very successful. In our report, we make it very clear that the development of organic farming is one of the key elements in achieving the overarching objectives of: Green-DealIt will be goals. Organic farming plays an important role in providing sustainable solutions to many challenges today. But please: If we want to be successful, we are going to do it sustainably, giving ourselves the time we need, the time our Member States need, the time our farmers need – for us and for our environment.

Madam President, esteemed Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! As a member of the agricultural parliament from Austria, the top organic rider country, it is a particularly great pleasure and honour for me to be responsible for the positioning of the European Parliament on the EU's important organic action plan. Because high-quality food produced regionally and in harmony with nature is important for the quality of life of people in Europe, but also for climate protection. This is what our organic agriculture stands for. And this guiding principle for sustainable management must definitely be given more space in Europe. In the Bio-Action Plan, we make sure that there is a very good mix of the right tools and incentives, but also sufficient flexibility, so that each EU country has tailor-made opportunities to develop its organic sector individually and can pour the European Bio-Vision into its own national or regional organic strategies. Because our regions start from completely different initial situations. In some countries we already have more than 25% organic agricultural land, in others we are at 0.5%. From farmers to finishing and processing, the private sector with retail, gastronomy, the public sector with public procurement and consumers: We have to pick people up. We need to create the conditions for sustainable growth and not just, please, talk about goals. That is why we have set priorities in the EU Bio-Action Plan. The promotion of organic consumption plays an important role. The growth of the organic sector can only succeed sustainably with a market-oriented approach and a holistic further development of the supply chain. It takes an equilibrium of supply and demand growth to ensure that prices are right. We also point out the immense potential of short regional and seasonal supply chains. They bring environmental and economic benefits to our organic farmers and rural regions by securing incomes and creating jobs, while making a significant contribution to animal welfare and the protection of the environment, climate and biodiversity. We also insist on the involvement of the local and regional level, because the representatives of the regions and the municipalities who know best where the shoe is pressing and where to take targeted steps in the further development of the organic sector – be it in schools, kindergartens, crèches, in cooperation between farmers and with consumers, in green procurement in canteens or in other areas. The EU Bio-Action Plan must also be accompanied by a strong research, innovation and digital policy. Limiting factors of production need to be overcome – the availability of protein feed, vitamins, fertilisers and plant protection. Resource use must also become increasingly efficient in order to meet societal expectations and the future. Smart farming and organic farming must go hand in hand. The COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have made it even clearer that the EU needs to strengthen its food security and reduce its dependence on imports from outside the EU. A strong, sustainable and, above all, diverse EU agricultural sector is an essential component of our food security. Organic farming can and will make an important contribution to the future food security of the EU. I would also like to thank my colleagues from the various political groups who have been very constructive in the negotiations. In preparing the report on the EU Bio Action Plan, we have largely put aside ideological differences in favour of common sense, because at its core we agree that we want to expand and strengthen the organic sector in Europe. This vision has been fully endorsed at committee level. Finally, I would like to emphasise once again that future-oriented agriculture must and can not only be organic. I am a conventional farmer myself and know very well that we can also produce high-quality food with very high animal welfare standards using other sustainable farming methods. In the further development of a sustainable EU food system, there is no single agricultural model suitable for all countries and regions. We need both in the future: Organic agriculture and conventional agriculture to feed our people.

Madam President, Commissioner! Almost every day we hear reports – Ukraine, Europe’s grain chamber, and beyond. We know that Ukraine and Russia together account for over 30% of the world's trade in wheat, over 32% in barley, over 17% in corn and even over 50% in sunflowers. These quantities will no longer be available on the world market this year, nor will they be available next year. All the framework conditions have changed completely and so it is high time for our motion for a resolution. Europe has a responsibility. Europe has a commitment. Not only towards its citizens, but also beyond the borders of Europe. Three points: EU legislative packages for the agricultural sector, Farm to Fork and the biodiversity strategy needs to be completely reassessed. Production restrictions are out of place today. We need real support for European farmers who are working every day for our food security despite the exorbitantly high feed, fertiliser and fuel prices. We need fresh money – not from the crisis reserve, because then we pay for this crisis ourselves. And thirdly: Congratulations to the Commission! Around 4 million hectares of set-aside land have been released for cultivation. This contributes to food security.