The Green Deal becomes a problem for the fruity gold in the Wachau. A proposal from Brussels is now causing apricot farmers and winegrowers to tremble.
Insofar as the concerns of the European Union may have an impact on everyday life, their decisions affect everyday life at home. The winegrowers and apricot farmers in the Wachau are now feeling the effects of this. The World Heritage region is part of the Europe-wide network of protected areas Natura 2000 and would therefore also be affected by the so-called Green Deal. As part of this reform, the use of all chemical pesticides is to be banned. The EU mandatary is critical of the world-famous Wachau apricots as well as the coveted fine wines from this region. “To treat the apricot blossom, just as small amounts of pesticides are needed as in viticulture,” says farmer and EU mandatary Alexander Bernhuber. The European Commission proposes that the amount of pesticides in the Union be halved by 2030. “This is equivalent to a total loss of biological and conventional pesticides and would therefore pose a threat to the World Heritage region,” rumbles Bernhuber. Together with farmers and winegrowers, he therefore wants to protest against this regulation. In Germany, the ban has already triggered veritable peasant uprisings.
source site-12