Corona-crisis must not be an excuse for postponement

A leak today (Thursday, 16th April) has revealed that the European Commission is considering postponing the Farm-to-Fork and Biodiversity Strategies. The Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament rejects any postponement and calls for the timetable to be maintained, especially in view of the ongoing negotiations on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.

Martin Häusling, Member of the European Parliament’s Committees on Agriculture and Food Safety, calls on the European Commission to stick to the complete package of the European Green Deal:

“The Corona crisis cannot be allowed to be an excuse for sticking with an outdated agricultural policy. A postponement of the Farm-to-Fork Strategy is an obvious manoeuvre by the agricultural lobby and must not be accepted. The European Commission must commit to the European Green Deal in its complete form. A sustainable agricultural policy for the welfare of farmers and animals is an important building block for economic recovery, and therefore any delay in these initiatives could mean a delay in recovery.”

Ville Niinistö, Member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Environment, urges for continued commitment to the timeline of the Green Deal:

“The Corona crisis must not be used as an excuse to sidetrack our environmental objectives. We need a strong Biodiversity Strategy now more than ever as it plays a major part in the Green Deal. Postponing this initiative is the wrong message during this crisis. Europe must work hard to find tools that lead our economy out of the crisis in a sustainable manner and keep up with the ambitious environment protection and climate goals.”