The president of the FNSEA, Arnaud Rousseau, February 1, 2024 in Paris (AFP/Archives/STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN)
Less than two weeks before the Agricultural Show, the majority union FNSEA wants to see the government “speed up the pace” with “concrete” announcements and environmental associations slam the door on a meeting on the evaluation of pesticides.
Among the stinging subjects, both for farmers and environmental defenders, is the monitoring of pesticide use.
Eight environmental NGOs announced that they had left a meeting of the Strategic Orientation and Monitoring Committee (Cos) of the Ecophyto plan, which was held in the afternoon at the Ministry of Agriculture, with the government, elected officials and representatives farmers and industry.
This plan, which aims to halve the use of pesticides by 2030 (compared to 2015-2017), was suspended by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal “time to put in place a new indicator” which would replace Nodu, the main French measuring tool.
A decision which satisfied the majority agricultural unions and dismayed environmental associations, who denounced a major step backwards by the government.
The invitation to this Cos “contained neither agenda nor working documents transmitted in preparation for this meeting”, criticized the NGOs including Générations Futures, WWF France, the Foundation for Nature and Man and the LPO.
“The working conditions were not met to begin the dialogue” on the future of the Ecophyto plan, Sandrine Bélier, director of Humanity and Biodiversity, told AFP.
“It is not acceptable, when no decision has been taken, to leave a meeting of exchange and consultation,” reacted the Ministry of Agriculture, stressing that the NGOs had been received before the meeting and wanted to read a statement without participating in it.
– “Not on the corner of the table” –
The government also ensures that it is making progress on major agricultural issues, while the FNSEA is growing impatient.
Announcements, but what “concrete actions”? The president of the powerful National Federation of Farmers’ Unions (FNSEA) Arnaud Rousseau has been raising his voice since Sunday in the press: “No one has any interest in walking around with us”, he said, warning that without “progress “concrete”, the farmers would not hesitate to take to the streets again.
Farmers block the A6 highway with their tractors near Longjumeau, south of Paris, January 30, 2024 (AFP/Archives/JULIEN DE ROSA)
“We are not at the right tempo (…), we must accelerate the tempo,” he noted on BFM-TV, but also on franceinfo, urging the government to take action before the Salon takes place of agriculture in Paris (February 24-March 3) and warning that the quality of the reception of the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron would depend on it.
After two weeks of road blockages and sometimes tumultuous actions, the demonstrators broke camp at the beginning of February following three bursts of announcements from Gabriel Attal on subjects as diverse as pesticides, farmers’ pensions, simplification standards and aid for livestock or organic farming.
But since then, there has been “no ministerial meeting” either with the Minister of Agriculture or with the Prime Minister, and “no follow-up point”, lamented Mr. Rousseau.
Monday morning, Matignon announced that Gabriel Attal would receive the majority FNSEA unions and the Young Farmers on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m., in the presence of the Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau and his delegate minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher.
Agnès Pannier-Runacher, new Minister Delegate for Agriculture, Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau Marc Fesneau, February 9, 2024 in Paris (AFP/Archives/JULIEN DE ROSA)
The two ministers responsible for Agriculture “will see each of the union organizations during the week”, in particular to discuss the bill on the renewal of generations, it was specified in the cabinet of Marc Fesneau.
This text, postponed to be enriched according to the government, should be presented to the Council of Ministers “at the end of February” for a vote “by June”, the same source said.
“I challenge anyone to find a political moment where we will have done so much in such a short time,” responded Marc Fesneau, interviewed Monday at the Wine Paris and Vinexpo show.
“On simplification, we are sometimes on standards that date back 20 or 25 or 30 years,” he recalled, explaining that the changes would sometimes be legislative, sometimes regulatory: A decree, he said, “It can’t be done on the corner of a table.”
Rue de Varenne, it is specified that the government is working on “all files”. Gabriel Attal’s announcements – with emergency measures costed at 400 million euros by Bercy – have begun to be implemented in concrete terms, the ministry says, evoking for example the opening since February 5 of the emergency measures. compensation for breeders.
© 2024 AFP
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