The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Czesław Siekierski, announced today that he will speak that day with the ministers of Lithuania and Germany about, among other things: agricultural protests. “Farmers have suffered financial losses due to the demands of the Green Deal. I want the EU to partially compensate them,” said the head of the Ministry of Agriculture.
The head of the Ministry of Agriculture announced the planned meeting for today with his Lithuanian and German colleagues.
Today I will also speak with the Minister of Agriculture of Lithuania (Kestutis Navickas – PAP). Also today, the German Minister of Agriculture (Cem Oezdemir – PAP) visits Warsaw. We will also talk about all these problems because German farmers have been on strike for a few days, Minister Siekierski said on Polish Radio24.
I want the EU to partially compensate for the losses related to the Green Deal and the losses related to opening trade with Ukraine
– added.
The PSL politician assured that in conversations with Polish farmers he sees a great desire to change the current situation. crisis situation.
Farmers speak with an attitude of solving difficult problems related to relations between Poland and Ukraine and related to relations with the EU
– he pointed out.
According to him, the European Union acted unwisely by liberalizing trade with Ukraine. The aim was to strengthen Ukraine’s economic situation, but this had negative consequences for EU member states.
The European Commission has taken the easy way out in liberalizing trade with Ukraine. This was supposed to strengthen the Ukrainian economy, but had very negative consequences for the countries bordering Ukraine and later for the entire EU
– he emphasized.
One of the biggest problems hindering agricultural talks in Brussels is the powerful lobby and influence of large companies and enterprises in Ukraine.
There is foreign capital in Ukraine, which complicates our relations. Oligarchs also influence the EU to protect their interests. So there is a major problem with the inflow of goods
– he noted.
The People’s Party politician emphasized the need to compensate the losses suffered by Polish farmers as a result of the crisis and the decisions of the European Commission.
My proposal to the European Commission will include specific actions. Farmers have suffered financing losses due to the requirements of the Green Deal. I want the EU to partially compensate them. This also applies to losses related to opening trade with Ukraine
– emphasized Minister Siekierski.
Protest at the border with Lithuania
Farmers from northeastern Poland announced that they would start a protest in front of the Polish-Lithuanian border in Budzisko on March 1. The protest and related disruptions are expected to last until March 7.
The main goal of the protest is to control and restrict the transportation of Ukrainian grain to Lithuania and back to Poland. Farmers expect the Lithuanian side to introduce a ban on grain imports from Ukraine and introduce grain transit rules similar to those currently in force in Poland.
Yesterday the Agriculture Summit took place in Warsaw, attended by Prime Minister Donald Tusk. During the meeting with farmers, the Prime Minister stated that the Polish government would do everything possible to protect Polish agriculture. He also announced that he would call on Brussels to suspend or withdraw the provisions of the Green Deal in the agricultural field. At the same time, the government will make efforts to embargo Russian and Belarusian agricultural products. The Prime Minister also announced a new meeting.
Peasant protests have been organized in the European Union for several days. The demands of Polish farmers include withdrawing from the provisions of the Green Deal, closing the borders against the inflow of agri-food products from outside the EU, and defending livestock farming in Poland.
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— Parliamentary control at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. ‘We are checking whether Minister Kołodziejczak is actually right and Minister Siekierski is doing nothing’
— Siekierski: During the Council of Ministers in Brussels I will demand that the Green Deal be limited. These solutions are not accepted by farmers
pn/PAP/Polskie Radio24
Source: wPolityce