Brussels, 23.11.21. MEP Manuela Ripa (ÖDP) has strongly criticised the Common European Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the light of today’s vote in Parliament. Ripa had voted against it because of insufficient measures to protect our soils, biodiversity and climate.

The CAP concerns one of the most important decisions of the EU, because it significantly influences the agricultural policy of the individual member countries in the next seven years and comprises about 40 percent of EU spending. The vote sets the framework for EU agricultural subsidies for the years 2023 to 2027.

Contrary to the goals of the European Green Deal, however, the reform clearly falls short in the view of the ÖDP MEPs: “This decision is completely backward-looking. The planned agricultural policy harms biodiversity, the soil, farmers and animals. It is a fatal signal for all those who campaign against climate change, factory farming, biodiversity loss, monocultures and pesticides. That is why I, and my parliamentary group, reject this reform”.

Instead, the MEP had joined her group in advocating for sustainable agriculture. “More ambitious targets and measures are exactly what we need now. We are in the middle of a species and climate crisis. However, this CAP is not a solution, but exacerbates the problem. It pollutes the soil with more pesticides and fertilisers and pushes small farmers to give up in favour of large corporations. Animal welfare is also not the focus of the future agricultural policy; instead, large industrial livestock farms can continue to be subsidised. It is now up to the national strategy plans of the Member States to make significant improvements and to do more than just the absolute minimum set by the EU,” said MEP Ripa.

Of particular concern is that the CAP goes against the will of over a million petitioners who had lobbied for the European Citizens’ Initiative “Save Bees and Farmers”. “The current version of the agricultural reform goes against the protection of biodiversity. It also fails to map the achievements of the #Farm2Fork strategy,” Ripa sums up her criticism.

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