The Green Deal has prompted calls for changes, voiced by Ewa Kopacz of the Civic Platform. The European Parliament Vice-President urged that Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski should report directly to Ursula von der Leyen and provide a candid assessment of the current situation. These remarks, coming from one of Donald Tusk’s closest allies, appeared surprising given that a few days earlier the Polish Prime Minister had urged Wojciechowski not to let his Brussels contacts dictate Poland’s course.
Across multiple EU member states, farmers have been voicing protests over various aspects of the European Green Deal and the import of agricultural products from Ukraine. Polish farmers have joined these demonstrations for several months. Despite discussions with Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the protests continued without a resolution.
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According to Kopacz, the Green Deal can endure
When PAP asked whether the scale of the protests might threaten the Green Deal, Kopacz said that this would not be the case.
However, she noted that the plan requires adjustment in its Green Deal provisions.
– the Civic Platform politician commented.
Asked how the ongoing protests in Europe have shaped EP lawmakers’ views on the Green Deal, Kopacz said they had “reached the decision makers” and that the European Commission would “soften” the relevant provisions.
Kopacz on the path to adjustment
Kopacz indicated that the initiative to adjust the Green Deal provisions rests with the EU Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski.
Under the typical process, the European Commission drafts a proposal and the European Parliament approves it, so today Commissioner Wojciechowski should be the one to meet with Ursula von der Leyen, discuss the situation openly, and relay the facts.
– Kopacz emphasized, adding that such actions must carry resolve.
She criticized Wojciechowski’s stance, arguing that he has not consistently defended Polish interests, yet he returns to Poland and presents himself as a hero while shirking responsibility. The remarks also touched on what Tusk had said on the matter earlier.
– she stated, noting that Tusk was traveling to Bucharest for the EPP Congress at the time.
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Tusk’s coalition and the critique of Wojciechowski
Asked whether Members of the European Parliament would press the European Commission to alter Green Deal provisions, Kopacz pointed to ongoing meetings between parliamentarians and sector-specific commissioners.
For more than four years, Wojciechowski, the EU Commissioner for Agriculture, attended such meetings but focused mainly on fertilizers, according to Kopacz.
– Vice-President of the European Parliament —
She argued that the Commissioner appeared disengaged regarding the Green Deal, the influx of Ukrainian grain into Poland, and related signals. She claimed there were no clear messages from Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on the issue.
– she noted. It is worth recalling that the Green Deal originated while Donald Tusk headed the European Council, and its main architect was Frans Timmermans, who at that time was outspoken against the United Right government.
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Source: wPolityce