At the invitation of Agriculture Minister Norbert Totschnig hat EU Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen visited an agricultural farm in the Weinviertel as part of his inaugural visit to Austria and in the run-up to the winter conference of the Ecosocial Forum. The Luxembourg-born EU Commissioner outlined his priorities for the future of European agriculture. Hansen, Deadly and Pernkopf agree: “Europe needs a strong and competitive agriculture and forestry sector. To achieve this, it is necessary to reduce bureaucracy, ensure a strong EU agricultural budget and support young farm takeovers.”
“I am pleased that my first visit to Austria as EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Food is taking place in the run-up to the winter meeting of the Ecosocial Forum. I said at the beginning of my term in office that it was very important to me to be present on site and to listen to farmers. That’s why I found it particularly interesting to visit Lorenz Mayr’s family business and talk to him about plant protection, arable farming, crop rotation and soil cultivation. Farmers are entrepreneurs and they need stability and predictability for their long-term investments,” so Hansenwho visited an agricultural farm in the Weinviertel on his first visit to Austria.
“If we want to attract younger generations to the agricultural sector, we also have to simplify politics. Farmers should be able to do their actual work and not have to deal with paperwork. I work to simplify and ensure a more competitive and sustainable future for the sector. I will present my vision for agriculture and nutrition in the coming weeks and look forward to working closely with the Austrian authorities for the benefit of the Austrian and European agricultural sector,” like that EU Commissioner for Agriculture.
Totschnig: Excessive bureaucracy is a cause for concern
“In the coming months, groundbreaking decisions will be made in Brussels for the future of our agriculture. Our farmers need one thing above all now: stability, continuity and ability to plan. The budget for the new common agricultural policy must take into account the high inflation of recent years – after all, the services that are ordered from the farmers have to be paid for.”
“Excessive bureaucracy is one of the biggest concerns in agriculture. Farmers don’t want to fill out forms at their desks, they want to cultivate their fields and look after their animals. It is therefore a positive signal that the new EU Commission has decided to reduce documentation requirements in agriculture,” welcomed Deadly the announcement. All levels are asked to reduce bureaucracy.
“It is clear to me: we remain a strong and reliable partner of the EU. I am confident that Christophe Hansen, a true European, a political professional and someone with in-depth specialist knowledge, is taking on the responsibility as the new EU Agriculture Commissioner.”is glad Deadlythat Hansen got a first-hand impression of agriculture in Austria immediately after taking office.
Pernkopf: Bringing the future down to earth
“Farming families need reliability and planning security. And Europe needs strong agriculture and forestry. A decline in agricultural production in Europe, whether due to wars, unfair trade agreements or excessive regulations, would pose a threat to security. We must be able to take care of ourselves at all times. In short: we need more agriculture and less paperwork,” so LH deputy Stephan Pernkopf.
Specifically, he calls for simpler regulations and an inflation adjustment of direct agricultural payments. “We have the best conditions and a new agricultural commissioner who speaks the language of the farmers. Now we want to bring the future to the ground,” so Pernkopfthat too President of the Ecosocial Forum is, in the run-up to the 72nd winter session.