The European Union (EU) is diluting radical green agenda policies on emissions as farmers stricken by onerous regulations, tax hikes, price rises, and a glut of Ukrainian produce stage protests across the bloc.
Initially, the EU intended to require all sectors to cut emissions, specifying a 30 percent reduction in agricultural “pollution” by 2040. The revised plan omits this, a push to end fuel subsidies, and plans to pressure EU citizens into eating less meat.
The upheaval has been primarily driven by farmers fearing the economic impact of the EU’s green policies. There have been significant protests in Germany, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, among other countries.
The updated draft now frames agriculture positively, highlighting the sector’s role in the EU’s “food sovereignty.”
The European Commission, the EU’s unelected executive, now claims it will take a “balanced approach.” Supposedly, this will give equal consideration to climate change and citizens’ livelihoods.
Whether the concessions will be enough to dissuade farmers from their protests remains to be seen. On Friday, farmers in Poland began what is expected to be a 30-day blockade of the Ukrainian border. They are protesting being undercut by the flood of Ukrainian produce the EU has allowed into the bloc.
Ukrainian farmers do not face the same costly regulations as EU farmers. This has made it difficult for EU farmers to remain competitive.
