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The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Florin Barbu, announced, on Monday, in a discussion with farmers, in Târgu Mures, that he will demand the resignation of the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, on Tuesday, within the Council of Ministers.
“Romania put through the Council of Ministers the exemptions from GAEC 7 and 8 of the European Union Regulation. The support I had from the 15 states, including Germany and France, regarding the derogations from GAEC 7 and 8 and the failure to respect the vote that was given in the Council of Ministers of 70% will make me tomorrow, even in the Council of Ministers,as Romania, and I undertake this, in my capacity as a minister, to publicly demand the commissioner’s resignation because he does not respect a vote given by 15 states”, said Minister Florin Barbu.
GAEC 7 refers to crop rotation, and GAEC 8 to the condition of leaving 4% of the farm area uncultivated (fallow).
“I’m going with this mandate that in the Council of Ministers, tomorrow, if we don’t solve the problem of GAEC 7 and 8 derogation, because one thing was not understood and I tried to explain to the commissioner and to everyone, that not we ask for nothing.We are in a period of war, we are affected, the five states, by the conflict that occurred by Russia against Ukraine”, added Barbu.
The Minister of Agriculture claimed that when there is an approved framework for an extension, it means that there are difficulties and that is why, on Tuesday morning, if the exemptions from GAEC 7 and 8 are not resolved, he will request the resignation of Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski.
“It is for the first time in the Council of Ministers that a state through its representative, i.e. through the Minister of Agriculture, whom you have in front of you, will demand the resignation of the European Commissioner for Agriculture in the Council of Ministers.This is where I think we should enter into a dialogue,” said Florin Barbu.
The Alliance for Agriculture and Cooperation sent an open letter on Sunday to President Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and Minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu, requesting that they support more measures at the EU Council meeting on agriculture and fisheries.
“Considering the meeting of the Council of the European Union (Agriculture and Fisheries) on January 23, 2024 (10.00), where, according to the agenda, issues related to trade in agriculture and the proposed derogation in 2024 from standards 7 and 8 regarding good agricultural and environmental conditions (GAEC), the Alliance for Agriculture and Cooperation asks you to take all possible steps to convince the European Commission and the member states to support both declaratively and officially by vote the realization of the 2 points presented previously , provided in the minutes of the MADR meeting of 15.01.2024, at points 2 and 3 in that meeting, as follows: Granting exemption in 2024 from standards 7 and 8 regarding good agricultural and environmental conditions (GAEC) under conditions at least similar to 2023;The adoption of the EU solution on ensuring the survival of European farmers, before the publication of the Commission’s proposal to renew trade measures for agricultural products from Ukraine”, reads the letter.
The Romanian farmers presented, on Monday, to the Minister of Agriculture, a list of 13 demands, among them being the immediate ban on the transit and imports of cereals, oilseeds, meal and other agri-food products from Ukraine, including those listed in documents as coming from the Republic of Moldova, Hungary or other countries, but based on the origin from Ukraine.
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