Interview Jerry Vergeer
'The challenge lies not only with farmers, but also with citizens'
In the run-up to the European parliamentary elections on Thursday 23 May, Boerenbusiness daily 6 agricultural questions for people with a vision on European agricultural policy. Today it is Jeroni Vergeer, candidate for European Parliament member for GroenLinks.
Vergeer is, in addition to a candidate for MEP, also a member of the group for GroenLinks in Amsterdam and a farmer's daughter. She is in 9th place for GroenLinks in the European Parliament. However, she herself does not consider the chance that she will become a Member of Parliament.
Do you want more or less European agricultural policy for the Dutch farmer?
"We do not want less or more European agricultural policy, but above all a different application of the budget. In addition, the policy must also be greener, with more attention to animal welfare and biodiversity. In my view, agricultural policy must also have the objective that the farmer becomes climate neutral, just as it is the case for other sectors."
If we look at the Common Agricultural Policy, should there be a hectare premium or not?
"We are not in favor of the current hectare premium. Now the following applies: the more land you have, the more money you get. At the moment there is no incentive to farm sustainably. This encourages unbridled economies of scale. The subsidies that farmers receive , must be linked to the provision of public services. After all, it is about public money. The conditions can also stipulate that more animals, wooded banks and/or flower strips must be in the meadow. In this way you also create a new business case."
Looking at the implementation of the chain report by Cees Veerman: how do you achieve a 'level playing field' in the European Union?
"We think it is important that there is a level playing field. In that respect, the current tendency to renationalise is very risky. In the proposals for the Common Agricultural Policy, the European Union sets the agricultural targets in the environmental field, among other things, after which the Member States can determine themselves We are not against that per se, but then you have to agree on clear goals, indicators and supervisors. If you make too many general agreements and leave too much flexibility to the individual countries, we will soon have no European agricultural policy more. That creates an uneven playing field."
"In our view, it is important that a more regional market is created, but also that the livestock population becomes smaller. Farmers now have a bad negotiating position, mainly because so much is being produced now. We want to give farmers more power and that is possible. better with a regional market and short chains. In addition, we want less sales on the global market. There is no need to produce the meat here and then send it around the world. A smaller livestock and more diverse crops are therefore in the interest of the farmer. The Dutch farmers today are forced to grow, but they are no longer able to do it."
"In addition, it is of course not sustainable to import soy and then export it to Africa. We have to move less, although we also understand that some products can be grown better elsewhere. Europe can play a role here, for example by applying the same requirements to the products entering the country and products leaving the country."
Is the Brussels power with regard to the authorization of plant protection products too great?
"We are dealing with an internal market. It is therefore self-evident that the European Union is in charge of the authorization. On the other hand, Brussels should listen less to the lobby from the large producers of plant protection products. These parties have their own interests (their profit), and therefore do not serve the interests of farmers and citizens. In Europe, many substances have already been admitted by this lobby, after which they have been fully used. When it later turned out that these substances were not good, farmers got the citizens after them. is actually in Brussels."
What should be made a spearhead in Brussels agricultural policy?
"Biodiversity must be put first. The decline of insects and other animal species in Europe is alarming, and action must be taken today. Climate change also needs to be tackled better. Of course, this challenge does not only lie with farmers, but also with the citizen. For example, they need to fly less and insulate their homes better."
Which myth about the European Parliament is not correct in your view?
"You often hear in the media that the decisions come from Brussels. In reality, these are mainly democratic decisions, over which our parliamentarians and ministers have influence. It is not an external power from abroad."
Read all interviews about the European elections here.
Anne-Jan Doorn
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