Interview Bert-Jan Ruissen
'Agricultural entrepreneur's medicine cabinet is running out'
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 that is Bert-Jan Ruissen, candidate for MEP for ChristenUnie-SGP.
As an SGP member, Ruissen is currently a councilor in Krimpen aan den IJssel and is also a coordinating policy officer at the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. The chance that hetransfers to Brussels' is real. Ruissen is in second place for ChristenUnie-SGP. These 2 parties are jointly part of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group and currently have 2 seats in the European Parliament.
Do you want more or less European agricultural policy for the Dutch farmer?
"First and foremost: the SGP believes that the budget for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) should be maintained. I am concerned about the income position of farmers. investigation report of the Court of Audit has shown that 33% farms below the statutory minimum wage. This is therefore not the time to skimp on the CAP. However, we do believe that there should be more room for maneuver for the Member States to give substance to the CAP. Many of the current rules are too generic. The new CAP offers starting points for a good national interpretation."
"A frequently heard complaint in the agricultural sector is the high regulatory burden. We note outdated regulations, for example in the field of plant breeding. There should be more room for CRISPR-Cas. We are also in favor of animal manure as a replacement for artificial fertilisers. The Netherlands has enough animal manure, with which we can close the cycle better."
If we look at the Common Agricultural Policy, should there be a hectare premium or not?
"We are in favor of the hectare premium. It is of course our preference that the agricultural entrepreneur primarily obtains his income from the market, receives a fair price for his product and can thus work profitably. However, in practice we often see that this is not the case. The prices for the yield leave something to be desired, which means that income support will remain necessary for the time being."
Looking at the implementation of the chain report by Cees Veerman: how do you achieve a 'level playing field' in the European Union?
"It is clear that there is still a lot of room for improvement in this area. The battery cage eggs from Ukraine are a good example of this. We ban production in the Netherlands, but there is room for import of those eggs. That creates an uneven playing field. "The same often happens in the field of plant protection products. The products that are banned here may be used in Southern Europe, for example."
"I also think that we should avoid national rules, on top of European legislation, as much as possible. The coupled support schemes should also be abolished in Europe. Member States may use 8% of their budget for support that is linked to a specific production. relatively little use of it."
Is the Brussels power with regard to the authorization of plant protection products too great?
"The authorization of plant protection products is now regulated at European level and that is a good thing. It ensures harmonization. However, we do believe that products are being banned very quickly and that the approval of new, green products is slow. of agricultural entrepreneurs is running out and that is worrying.The resources are needed for the integrated approach to pests and diseases.It is a joint responsibility of the European Union and the Member States not to ban all active substances on the one hand and to test new products on the other. "
What should be made a spearhead in Brussels agricultural policy?
"Strengthening the economic base of companies. Only when this is in order will there be room to invest in sustainability. I think the CAP can play an important role in this. It must continue to function as a safety net, absorb price fluctuations and support to farmers in times of crisis. The broad weather insurance is a good example of an effective measure that supports entrepreneurs."
Which myth about the European Parliament is not correct in your view?
"A lot of people think that the European Parliament has little to say when it comes to European agricultural policy. In the past, it was agriculture ministers who made the decisions, but today the European Parliament has just as much to say. The European elections do so up to it."
Read all interviews about the European elections here.
Jeanette Pennings
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