Once again, the EU supply chain directive is causing trouble within the traffic light coalition: Yesterday, federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP) sent a letter to the other EU member states, explaining Germany’s abstention in the vote scheduled for tomorrow and reiterating his criticism of the proposed directive extensively. A senior government official criticized that this was not coordinated within the German government. The FDP does not seem to grasp the basic rules of government action.
Nevertheless, it seems realistic that the trilogue agreement will pass in the Council. The Belgian presidency is optimistic about obtaining a qualified majority among the member states. In recent meetings of the working groups, several member states reiterated their concerns, particularly regarding civil liability. Sweden is likely to reject the law, and the positions of many others are still unclear. The Austrian government is similarly divided as the German one and may also abstain.
France’s position is already clear: They are satisfied with the outcome and intend to approve it, according to information from Table.Media. After pressure from France, a review clause was included, which does not initially involve the financial sector.
For a qualified majority in the Council, the votes of at least 15 member states are necessary, representing at least 65 percent of the EU’s total population.
Due to Germany’s abstention, the vote of populous Italy will also be crucial. However, the EU supply chain law barely interests anyone in Italy’s public sphere, according to Almut Siefert from Rome. Inquiries about Italy’s voting behavior are met with indifference in the Ministry of Economy and Finance – what exactly is it about? Now, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni must decide personally.
Feature
Council remains unyielding: agreement on EU debt rules uncertain
With the expiration of the negotiation deadline imminent, the timing and likelihood of a decision on EU debt rules remain uncertain. The Belgian Council presidency appears to have little flexibility to bring to the negotiations on the dossier. The stance has been fiercely contested at the council level. According to parliamentary sources confirmed by Table.Media, both the Belgian Finance Minister and the Belgian EU Ambassador have insisted in previous trilogue sessions that they could not deviate from the council’s position.
A key point of contention between the Council and Parliament is the impact of the new debt rules on public investments. Parliament fears that the Council’s strict stance would force member states into investment-detrimental budget cuts, hindering climate action investments and weakening the economy.
Belgian council presidency’s obstruction tactics
Last week, the Commission analyzed potential compromise proposals from Parliament in a non-paper, obtained by Table.Media, assessing their effects on investments and economic sustainability. The idea was for the Council presidency to seek feedback from member states on the proposals to assess where potential for compromise exists.
However, according to multiple parliamentary sources, the Belgian Council presidency has not sought feedback from member states, a move representatives of Parliament view as obstruction tactics. They fear that the Council presidency will present Parliament with a “take it or leave it” scenario on the final trilogue day this Friday (Feb. 9).
However, Irene Tinagli, Chair of the Parliament’s Economic Affairs Committee, refuses to be pressured. During negotiations on Wednesday, she warned that she would not schedule a final trilogue for Friday if the Belgian Council presidency did not show a more collaborative approach. A trilogue without a fixed end time is typically scheduled for the expected final trilogue negotiation, which often lasts into the night. Without it, there can be no agreement.
Uncertainty surrounds strength of Parliament’s resistance
This would prolong the saga of EU debt rules into the next legislative term. Whether Parliament is willing to follow through on this threat to the Council remains unclear. It is possible that Parliament may settle for a purely symbolic concession from the Council.
The Social Democrats, in particular, find themselves in a difficult situation. They hold two key positions in these negotiations with Margarida Marques as co-rapporteur and with Tinagli. They are also facing criticism from unions and Greens, who argue that the proposed reform would lead to a new European austerity policy.
Gabriele Bischoff seeks to anchor social convergence as goal
In this light, the initiative of the union-affiliated German Social Democrat Gabriele Bischoff, who participates in the negotiations as rapporteur of the Employment Committee, is also to be seen.
She demands that the goal of social convergence be explicitly included in the regulation text. This is intended to counter the fear that the new fiscal rules will come at the expense of lower-income groups. So far, the Belgian Council presidency has refused to accommodate the Parliament’s position here as well.
Belgium
Economic policy
EU debt rules
Fiscal policy
Investments
Trilog
Green Deal failure in agriculture not just down to farmer protests
It’s another blow to the Farm to Fork strategy: In a speech before the European Parliament on Tuesday, Ursula von der Leyen announced that the EU Commission is withdrawing the proposal for the SUR Regulation, which aims to halve pesticide use by 2030. According to her, the Commission could develop a “new, much more sophisticated proposal“. However, if this happens, it will only come after the European elections.
The withdrawal of the SUR is one of the concessions made in response to farmers’ protests that have recently dominated the agricultural debate in Brussels and Strasbourg. These protesting farmers “have shown us that many of them feel constrained, that their needs are not being met”, said Maroš Šefčovič, the Commission Vice President responsible for the Green Deal, during a hastily convened parliamentary debate on “strengthening farmers and rural populations” on Wednesday.
The protests contribute to the gloomy mood regarding environmental and climate action in agriculture, which is likely to also influence politics after the European elections. However, the Green Deal had already been stumbling in the agricultural and food sectors.
Little remains of Farm to Fork strategy
In the Farm to Fork strategy, the agricultural and food branch of the Green Deal, the Commission set ambitious goals in 2020: Food production, processing and consumption should become more sustainable and healthier, and food waste should be reduced. However, little remains of this:
The announced animal welfare reform and sustainable food system law were never presented by the Commission.
The chemical regulation has been postponed indefinitely.
The planned Soil Protection Act was downgraded to a “soil monitoring law”.
The Commission presented a proposal against food waste last summer, but Parliament and the Council have not yet taken it up.
Even before von der Leyen’s retreat, the SUR was already in a political deadlock after Parliament voted against it in November.
For MEP Pascal Canfin (Renew), Chair of the influential ENVI Committee, the strategy of “depoliticization, which worked for everything else,” has failed in agriculture. Indeed, much has been achieved in terms of climate and energy during this term, such as the reform of the European Emissions Trading System (which incidentally excludes agriculture).
This discrepancy may also be due to the fact that the group bearing the costs of climate action and environmental protection measures in agriculture is clearly defined and well-organized. Unlike, for example, emissions trading, which causes additional costs for a diffuse group of economic and industrial sectors and is difficult for consumers to understand.
Climate action instead of species protection
In addition, parts of the political spectrum increasingly interpreted the Green Deal as a purely “climate deal”. In agricultural matters, however, it often concerns species and environmental protection, such as with the SUR, but also with the Nature Restoration Law. Although not part of the Farm to Fork strategy, it directly affects agriculture. Whether biodiversity protection – unlike climate action – is really highly valued enough to accept restrictions on (agricultural) economy is disputed, especially within the EPP, but also in parts of Renew.
However, the Commission itself has also contributed to the fact that little remains of its ambitions in the end. Von der Leyen partly admitted this when withdrawing the SUR: The proposal “polarized”, she admits. The Farm to Fork strategy emerged in the wake of the 2019 European elections, in which the Greens achieved record results following mass demonstrations by Fridays for Future. However, the Commission underestimated the explosiveness of its proposals, which were only discussed more intensively towards the end of the legislative term due to the lengthy political process in the EU. In the meantime, the mood had changed: The pandemic and the war in Ukraine had brought food security into sharper focus.
Difficult conditions after the election
At the same time, parties began positioning themselves for the next election, making compromises on sensitive issues more difficult. Now, the farmer protests are likely to further complicate compromise-building on agricultural matters in the next legislative term. In addition, forecasts predict a shift to the right in the Parliament’s majority. “If there is no democratic support for the Green Deal anymore, it will end. That is one of the major challenges of the election,” emphasizes Pascal Canfin.
The Greens are also concerned: “In the last European elections in 2019, there were climate marches, and it was politically expensive to oppose the Green Deal. Today, it is politically profitable,” says Green Party leader Philippe Lamberts. Therefore, the Greens must deliver “the game of their lives” in the election.
Bauernproteste
Events
Feb. 12, 2024; 3-4:15 p.m., online DGAP, Panel DiscussionElection Season and US Foreign Policy: Implications for Ukraine Support US foreign policy experts hosted by the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) will assess how the US elections could affect the support for Ukraine and will discuss the factors shaping US policy on Ukraine. INFO & REGISTRATION
Feb. 13, 2024; 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Berlin HBS, panel discussionIndonesia at Crossroads – Development, Infrastructure and the State of Democracy At the Heinrich Böll Foundation (HBS), academics and activists from Germany and Indonesia will be discussing the state of democracy in Indonesia, how international developments are influencing the situation on the ground and what options German and European politicians have to intervene in the run-up to the Indonesian presidential elections.INFO & REGISTRATION
News
CO2 limits for trucks could fail in Council due to Germany
The failure of CO2 fleet limits for trucks in the Council is no longer ruled out. Since the FDP ministers in the federal government reject the trilogue outcome, Germany will have to abstain from the vote in the Council as it stands now. The Belgian Council presidency had postponed the originally planned vote for Wednesday to Friday after the German government signaled its abstention. However, negotiations between the Chancellery, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Environment are still ongoing. The Ministry of Environment and the Chancellery hope to prevent an abstention.
Since Italy and several Eastern European member states are planning to vote against the proposal, a qualified majority would be missed if Germany abstains, and thus the proposal would fail in the Council. Time is also running out for renegotiations, as the deadline is approaching, after which a vote in Parliament before the European elections will no longer be possible. The Commission would then have to resubmit the proposal to the next European Parliament to reach a new agreement.
VDA against FDP initiative
The FDP insists that CO2-neutral fuels be credited towards fleet limits. This demand did not find a majority in either Parliament or the Council. Therefore, e-fuels were not part of the political agreement. The FDP parliamentary group recently called on FDP Transport Minister Volker Wissing to ensure Germany’s abstention in the Council.
The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) did not support the FDP’s initiative on Wednesday. Rather, it emphasized that the timeline for implementation is already ambitious and that manufacturers cannot afford any further delays in the process. mgr/luk
Flottengrenzwerte
Council Presidency heads into platform work trilogue without a mandate
Despite concessions from the European Parliament, it is entirely unclear, just before the end of the legislative period, whether the EU will combat false self-employment on major digital platforms more effectively in the future. The Belgian presidency will head into the last trilogue on the platform work directive on Thursday without a mandate from the Council.
According to Table.Media sources, member states in the COREPER I meeting on Wednesday failed to reach a qualified majority for the current compromise text. Several country representatives complained about the lack of legal certainty if criteria triggering an employment presumption were completely abandoned. Nevertheless, the trilogue is scheduled to take place this Thursday. The Belgian presidency is expected to try to secure further concessions from Parliament. Germany has abstained so far. Consequently, reaching a majority on this dossier is particularly challenging.
Will the criteria return?
A source familiar with the Council’s positions stated: “There must be a precise clarification in the recitals at least on how the criteria for employment presumption should look.” Otherwise, there could be different interpretations across Europe of when a platform worker is considered self-employed or employed. “This would be a problem for both employees and the platforms themselves.”
The wording of these criteria and the threshold for fulfillment have always been a major point of contention between the Council and Parliament. The original proposal from the EU Commission envisaged EU-wide criteria, of which a certain minimum number must be met to trigger a suspicion of employment. The Council consistently insisted on a narrow definition of the criteria and advocated for a high threshold for triggering the presumption. In the seventh trilogue, Parliament offered that member states should decide themselves under what conditions the so-called employment presumption is triggered.
Time is running out for an agreement
Another COREPER I meeting is scheduled for Friday, where the directive will be discussed. This is the deadline by which negotiated laws can still be formalized in all EU languages in time for confirmation in the Council and Parliament. Otherwise, the procedure could only possibly be saved through the corrigendum procedure. Whether this can happen is currently unclear.
“The fact that there is a struggle over our alternative proposal on the Council side shows that everyone understands the seriousness of the situation. Now, 28 million affected individuals are watching closely to see if we are living up to our shared responsibility,” said CDU shadow rapporteur Dennis Radtke to Table.Media.
The Council and Parliament have been locked in a bitter dispute over the platform work law for months. An agreement was reached in the trilogue in December. However, the Council rejected the compromise – a rare occurrence. Besides the minimum wage directive, this dossier is considered the most important initiative in the field of labor and social affairs in this legislative period. lei
Arbeitnehmerrechte
ECR Group in the European Parliament opens to French far-right party
The ECR Group in the European Parliament has welcomed Nicolas Bay, MEP from Reconquête. With this move, the party family, under the leadership of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, is opening up to a far-right group. Reconquête – an allusion to the reconquest of Spain by the Christians – was founded in 2021 by Éric Zemmour to run in the 2022 French presidential election. He gained seven percent of the votes. A few months later, the party failed to pass the five percent threshold in the parliamentary elections.
The party rejects Islam and positions itself against the “growing influence of the LGBTQ movement.” Its vice presidents are MEP Bay and Marion Maréchal. She is the granddaughter of Front National founder Jean-Marie Le Pen and is married to Vicenzo Sofo, a Fratelli d’Italia MEP. She left the party of her aunt Marine Le Pen, the leader of the Rassemblement National, after falling out with her. During a joint appearance with ECR Group Leader Nicolas Procaccini in the European Parliament, she said: “The ECR is the natural family for Reconquête.”
EKR aims to become the strongest right-wing parliamentary group
In the new European Parliament, Maréchal, who heads the Reconquête list in the European elections, wants to fight against “EU centralism” and for the principle of subsidiarity in the ECR Group. “I want to oppose Macronism in the European Parliament.” When asked, Bay pointed out that he had always voted against the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine in the European Parliament and favored supporting the country.
In the Prague Declaration, the ECR laid down principles to which its members must commit themselves. As things stand, Reconquête has no plans to join the ECR party family. It is expected that Reconquête will be able to field around five MEPs in the European elections. ECR leader Meloni’s motivation for including Reconquête is also likely to be to beat the far-right ID in the European elections. The ID group is dominated by Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National. mgr
EU Parliament
European election 2024
France
New breeding methods: EU Parliament restricts Commission proposal
By 307 votes to 263, the plenary session of Parliament adopted its negotiating position on the proposed relaxation of EU genetic engineering legislation on Wednesday. MEPs thus backed the European Commission’s proposal to relax the rules for certain genetically modified plants – albeit with one important caveat. Parliament voted in favor of all products made from genetically modified plants having to be labeled “new genomic techniques.” In addition, the fact that a product was created using new breeding techniques should remain traceable along the entire supply chain.
In contrast, the Commission had proposed a significant relaxation of the labeling requirement for genetically modified plants, which could otherwise have been created conventionally. Only seeds would still have had to be labeled, processed products up to the supermarket shelf would no longer have to be labeled. The fact that the parliamentary plenary voted for stricter requirements on labeling and traceability is an important victory for the Greens and parts of the Social Democrats. Mandatory labeling is “elementary” and will allow consumers to “make an informed purchasing decision,” Martin Häusling, shadow rapporteur for the Greens, told Table.Media.
EPP: Parliament ‘votes for science’
Moreover, the now-adopted text – like that of the Environment Committee – contains a clause that excludes patents on genetically modified plants and seeds but conflicts with the European Patent Convention. Despite the caveats, however, the Greens, the Left and around half of the Social Democrats did not support the overall text in the end.
The EPP and Renew, which had advocated the reform of genetic engineering legislation, celebrated the adoption of the text as a success. EPP rapporteur Jessica Polfjärd was pleased after the vote and called it “a historic day” and a vote in favor of science
Praise also came from the German Farmers’ Association (DBV), which welcomed the parliamentary position as a “successful balancing of interests,” as well as from the scientific community. The aim is to use new breeding techniques “for the benefit and well-being of society and the environment,” emphasizes Nicolaus von Wirén, Managing Director of the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research
However, there are still no signs of a compromise on the dossier among the member states. The Belgian Council Presidency had also placed the issue on the agenda of EU ambassadors on Wednesday. However, no agreement was reached, and negotiations are now continuing at the working level, as a spokesperson confirmed. jd
EU-Gentechnikrecht
Deep-sea mining in Norway: EU Parliament criticizes decision
The EU Parliament passed a resolution in Strasbourg on Wednesday that clearly criticizes Norway’s decision to open up areas for deep-sea mining. 523 out of 616 MEPs voted in favor of the draft. The resolution calls on the EU Commission, the Member States and all other countries to support an international moratorium on deep-sea mining until its environmental impact has been sufficiently investigated.
On Jan. 9, the Norwegian parliament passed a resolution allowing an area of 281,200 square kilometers in the Arctic to be explored for possible seabed mining projects. The process is open-ended; further decisions on mining plans or permits depend on the Norwegian government. Initial mining plans must also be approved by parliament.
Parliament calls to evoke the precautionary principle and reminds Norway of its obligations as a party to relevant treaties, including on the management of fish stocks in the affected area.
Several EU member states, including Germany, France, Sweden and Finland, advocate a precautionary pause or a complete ban on deep-sea mining as part of negotiations in the International Seabed Authority (ISA). leo
Europäisches Parlament
Tiefseebergbau
EU Parliament suspends negotiations on firearms regulation
The European Parliament broke off yesterday’s negotiations with the Council on regulations for importing and exporting civilian firearms. The Belgian Council Presidency had demonstrated no willingness to negotiate on the scope of the new version of the so-called Firearms Regulation, EP rapporteur Bernd Lange (SPD) told Table.Media. “The European Parliament cannot tolerate this do-or-die attitude.”
In fall 2022, the EU Commission proposed updating the EU regulations for importing and exporting rifles and pistols for civilian use. According to Lange, however, the member states wanted to exempt all weapons that could be used for military purposes in particular, meaning that the new rules would apply to a smaller group than under the current 2012 regulation.
“Many weapons produced in the EU already end up in Latin American countries and are used there for illegal activities,” criticizes the Chairman of the Trade Committee. “We must put a stop to this with strict export regulations.” He urged the Council to make some progress here after all. tho
Frontex expects rising migration numbers
The EU border protection agency Frontex expects the number of migrants entering Europe to rise this year compared to 2023. The flow of those fleeing war or poverty cannot be stopped completely, Frontex head Hans Leijtens told Reuters.
“We need to manage migration because we can’t cope with unmanaged migration to Europe,” said Leijtens. “But a full stop – for me that seems very difficult, not to say impossible.”
Significantly more people from West Africa
Last year, Frontex registered 380,000 irregular border crossings, the highest number since 2016. This means that more and more people have entered Europe illegally every year since 2020. According to Leijtens, this trend will continue. He expects more people from sub-Saharan Africa to try to reach Europe. Whether the Gaza war will spark migration to Europe remains to be seen.
In January alone, irregular immigration from West Africato the EU increased more than tenfold compared to the same month last year. According to previously unpublished Frontex data for January, the Atlantic route is the most frequently used for crossing to Europe. According to the United Nations, more than 3,700 migrants died on their way to Europe last year. rtr
Asyl
Migrationspolitik
Heads
Christophe Clergeau – the man who wants to regulate agricultural markets in favor of farmers
Agriculture expert Christophe Clergeau at a committee meeting.
It was through Jacques Delors and Michel Rocard that French MEP and agricultural expert Christophe Clergeau (S&D) first came into contact with European matters. The staunchly pro-European stance of the two socialists differed significantly from public opinion in France, which can quickly swing towards Euroscepticism.
In 2019, Christophe Clergeau was appointed National Secretary for Europe of the Socialist Party. He was also elected regional councilor for Pays de la Loire, his home region in mid-western France. His mandate as a regional councilor allows him to keep one foot on the ground, explains Clergeau. The European circle closed when he moved up to the European Parliament on June 2 last year after Éric Andrieu resigned his mandate.
He has a good chance of being re-elected. He is in a good position on the joint list of the Socialist Party and the “Place Publique” movement founded by French MEP Raphaël Glucksmann for the European elections. Members of the Parti Socialiste will vote on the list this Thursday, and it will be officially confirmed on February 10. From then on, Raphaël Glucksmann will be able to lead the joint list into the European election campaign. The French Greens and Renaissance, the French branch of Renew, will be anything but pleased, as all three political groups will be trying to fish for votes from the same camp of pro-European and liberal voters.
‘Agriculture, the environment and health are inseparable’
In the European Parliament, Clergeau sits on the committees for agriculture, environment (biodiversity, climate change and health) and development aid for North-South relations. He knows a thing or two about agriculture: In 1997, he headed the cabinet of Louis Le Pensec, the then-Socialist Minister of Agriculture. In 1999, he left Paris to join AgroCampus Ouest in Rennes as a teaching and research assistant. The university focuses on agricultural education.
While the European agricultural sector is in a deep crisis, Clergeau, a trained economist and historian, believes that the political discourse “no longer addresses” the problems of the agricultural sector. He diagnoses an “agricultural conservatism” that is becoming “increasingly radical” in its resistance to the agricultural transition.
Christophe Clergeau would like to regulate agricultural markets
“Agriculture, the environment and health will be played off against each other, despite these three elements being inextricably linked,” explains Clergeau. He is leading the negotiations on new genetic technologies (NGTs) as shadow rapporteur for the S&D. By introducing new technologies and controlling standards, these contradictions can be eliminated, he explains. A position that could turn his camp against him. He demands that NGTs should continue to be regulated just as strictly as conventional genetic engineering. This position is at odds with that of the coordinator of the Socialist Group in the Agriculture Committee, Clara Aguilera, who has spoken out in favor of the development of NGTs, including in organic farming.
ChristopheClergeau also calls for the regulation of agricultural markets. “The price fluctuations on the agricultural markets do not allow farmers, especially those who run small and medium-sized farms, to receive a fair income,” says the MEP. He believes that the economic liberalism taking hold in the agricultural world is disadvantaging farmers.
And the MEP also sees this market logic reflected in the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): “The financial support that comes from the CAP privileges large-scale production and drives the expansion of farms. And it is aid without conditions.” He sees trade agreements as another face of this economic liberalism, “they put farmers in competition with each other who are not subjected to the same standards,” he says. “That’s why I favor regulating markets to protect farmers’ incomes.” Claire Stam
Once again, the EU supply chain directive is causing trouble within the traffic light coalition: Yesterday, federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP) sent a letter to the other EU member states, explaining Germany’s abstention in the vote scheduled for tomorrow and reiterating his criticism of the proposed directive extensively. A senior government official criticized that this was not coordinated within the German government. The FDP does not seem to grasp the basic rules of government action.
Nevertheless, it seems realistic that the trilogue agreement will pass in the Council. The Belgian presidency is optimistic about obtaining a qualified majority among the member states. In recent meetings of the working groups, several member states reiterated their concerns, particularly regarding civil liability. Sweden is likely to reject the law, and the positions of many others are still unclear. The Austrian government is similarly divided as the German one and may also abstain.
France’s position is already clear: They are satisfied with the outcome and intend to approve it, according to information from Table.Media. After pressure from France, a review clause was included, which does not initially involve the financial sector.
For a qualified majority in the Council, the votes of at least 15 member states are necessary, representing at least 65 percent of the EU’s total population.
Due to Germany’s abstention, the vote of populous Italy will also be crucial. However, the EU supply chain law barely interests anyone in Italy’s public sphere, according to Almut Siefert from Rome. Inquiries about Italy’s voting behavior are met with indifference in the Ministry of Economy and Finance – what exactly is it about? Now, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni must decide personally.
Feature
Council remains unyielding: agreement on EU debt rules uncertain
With the expiration of the negotiation deadline imminent, the timing and likelihood of a decision on EU debt rules remain uncertain. The Belgian Council presidency appears to have little flexibility to bring to the negotiations on the dossier. The stance has been fiercely contested at the council level. According to parliamentary sources confirmed by Table.Media, both the Belgian Finance Minister and the Belgian EU Ambassador have insisted in previous trilogue sessions that they could not deviate from the council’s position.
A key point of contention between the Council and Parliament is the impact of the new debt rules on public investments. Parliament fears that the Council’s strict stance would force member states into investment-detrimental budget cuts, hindering climate action investments and weakening the economy.
Belgian council presidency’s obstruction tactics
Last week, the Commission analyzed potential compromise proposals from Parliament in a non-paper, obtained by Table.Media, assessing their effects on investments and economic sustainability. The idea was for the Council presidency to seek feedback from member states on the proposals to assess where potential for compromise exists.
However, according to multiple parliamentary sources, the Belgian Council presidency has not sought feedback from member states, a move representatives of Parliament view as obstruction tactics. They fear that the Council presidency will present Parliament with a “take it or leave it” scenario on the final trilogue day this Friday (Feb. 9).
However, Irene Tinagli, Chair of the Parliament’s Economic Affairs Committee, refuses to be pressured. During negotiations on Wednesday, she warned that she would not schedule a final trilogue for Friday if the Belgian Council presidency did not show a more collaborative approach. A trilogue without a fixed end time is typically scheduled for the expected final trilogue negotiation, which often lasts into the night. Without it, there can be no agreement.
Uncertainty surrounds strength of Parliament’s resistance
This would prolong the saga of EU debt rules into the next legislative term. Whether Parliament is willing to follow through on this threat to the Council remains unclear. It is possible that Parliament may settle for a purely symbolic concession from the Council.
The Social Democrats, in particular, find themselves in a difficult situation. They hold two key positions in these negotiations with Margarida Marques as co-rapporteur and with Tinagli. They are also facing criticism from unions and Greens, who argue that the proposed reform would lead to a new European austerity policy.
Gabriele Bischoff seeks to anchor social convergence as goal
In this light, the initiative of the union-affiliated German Social Democrat Gabriele Bischoff, who participates in the negotiations as rapporteur of the Employment Committee, is also to be seen.
She demands that the goal of social convergence be explicitly included in the regulation text. This is intended to counter the fear that the new fiscal rules will come at the expense of lower-income groups. So far, the Belgian Council presidency has refused to accommodate the Parliament’s position here as well.
Belgium
Economic policy
EU debt rules
Fiscal policy
Investments
Trilog
Green Deal failure in agriculture not just down to farmer protests
It’s another blow to the Farm to Fork strategy: In a speech before the European Parliament on Tuesday, Ursula von der Leyen announced that the EU Commission is withdrawing the proposal for the SUR Regulation, which aims to halve pesticide use by 2030. According to her, the Commission could develop a “new, much more sophisticated proposal“. However, if this happens, it will only come after the European elections.
The withdrawal of the SUR is one of the concessions made in response to farmers’ protests that have recently dominated the agricultural debate in Brussels and Strasbourg. These protesting farmers “have shown us that many of them feel constrained, that their needs are not being met”, said Maroš Šefčovič, the Commission Vice President responsible for the Green Deal, during a hastily convened parliamentary debate on “strengthening farmers and rural populations” on Wednesday.
The protests contribute to the gloomy mood regarding environmental and climate action in agriculture, which is likely to also influence politics after the European elections. However, the Green Deal had already been stumbling in the agricultural and food sectors.
Little remains of Farm to Fork strategy
In the Farm to Fork strategy, the agricultural and food branch of the Green Deal, the Commission set ambitious goals in 2020: Food production, processing and consumption should become more sustainable and healthier, and food waste should be reduced. However, little remains of this:
The announced animal welfare reform and sustainable food system law were never presented by the Commission.
The chemical regulation has been postponed indefinitely.
The planned Soil Protection Act was downgraded to a “soil monitoring law”.
The Commission presented a proposal against food waste last summer, but Parliament and the Council have not yet taken it up.
Even before von der Leyen’s retreat, the SUR was already in a political deadlock after Parliament voted against it in November.
For MEP Pascal Canfin (Renew), Chair of the influential ENVI Committee, the strategy of “depoliticization, which worked for everything else,” has failed in agriculture. Indeed, much has been achieved in terms of climate and energy during this term, such as the reform of the European Emissions Trading System (which incidentally excludes agriculture).
This discrepancy may also be due to the fact that the group bearing the costs of climate action and environmental protection measures in agriculture is clearly defined and well-organized. Unlike, for example, emissions trading, which causes additional costs for a diffuse group of economic and industrial sectors and is difficult for consumers to understand.
Climate action instead of species protection
In addition, parts of the political spectrum increasingly interpreted the Green Deal as a purely “climate deal”. In agricultural matters, however, it often concerns species and environmental protection, such as with the SUR, but also with the Nature Restoration Law. Although not part of the Farm to Fork strategy, it directly affects agriculture. Whether biodiversity protection – unlike climate action – is really highly valued enough to accept restrictions on (agricultural) economy is disputed, especially within the EPP, but also in parts of Renew.
However, the Commission itself has also contributed to the fact that little remains of its ambitions in the end. Von der Leyen partly admitted this when withdrawing the SUR: The proposal “polarized”, she admits. The Farm to Fork strategy emerged in the wake of the 2019 European elections, in which the Greens achieved record results following mass demonstrations by Fridays for Future. However, the Commission underestimated the explosiveness of its proposals, which were only discussed more intensively towards the end of the legislative term due to the lengthy political process in the EU. In the meantime, the mood had changed: The pandemic and the war in Ukraine had brought food security into sharper focus.
Difficult conditions after the election
At the same time, parties began positioning themselves for the next election, making compromises on sensitive issues more difficult. Now, the farmer protests are likely to further complicate compromise-building on agricultural matters in the next legislative term. In addition, forecasts predict a shift to the right in the Parliament’s majority. “If there is no democratic support for the Green Deal anymore, it will end. That is one of the major challenges of the election,” emphasizes Pascal Canfin.
The Greens are also concerned: “In the last European elections in 2019, there were climate marches, and it was politically expensive to oppose the Green Deal. Today, it is politically profitable,” says Green Party leader Philippe Lamberts. Therefore, the Greens must deliver “the game of their lives” in the election.
Bauernproteste
Events
Feb. 12, 2024; 3-4:15 p.m., online DGAP, Panel DiscussionElection Season and US Foreign Policy: Implications for Ukraine Support US foreign policy experts hosted by the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) will assess how the US elections could affect the support for Ukraine and will discuss the factors shaping US policy on Ukraine. INFO & REGISTRATION
Feb. 13, 2024; 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Berlin HBS, panel discussionIndonesia at Crossroads – Development, Infrastructure and the State of Democracy At the Heinrich Böll Foundation (HBS), academics and activists from Germany and Indonesia will be discussing the state of democracy in Indonesia, how international developments are influencing the situation on the ground and what options German and European politicians have to intervene in the run-up to the Indonesian presidential elections.INFO & REGISTRATION
News
CO2 limits for trucks could fail in Council due to Germany
The failure of CO2 fleet limits for trucks in the Council is no longer ruled out. Since the FDP ministers in the federal government reject the trilogue outcome, Germany will have to abstain from the vote in the Council as it stands now. The Belgian Council presidency had postponed the originally planned vote for Wednesday to Friday after the German government signaled its abstention. However, negotiations between the Chancellery, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Environment are still ongoing. The Ministry of Environment and the Chancellery hope to prevent an abstention.
Since Italy and several Eastern European member states are planning to vote against the proposal, a qualified majority would be missed if Germany abstains, and thus the proposal would fail in the Council. Time is also running out for renegotiations, as the deadline is approaching, after which a vote in Parliament before the European elections will no longer be possible. The Commission would then have to resubmit the proposal to the next European Parliament to reach a new agreement.
VDA against FDP initiative
The FDP insists that CO2-neutral fuels be credited towards fleet limits. This demand did not find a majority in either Parliament or the Council. Therefore, e-fuels were not part of the political agreement. The FDP parliamentary group recently called on FDP Transport Minister Volker Wissing to ensure Germany’s abstention in the Council.
The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) did not support the FDP’s initiative on Wednesday. Rather, it emphasized that the timeline for implementation is already ambitious and that manufacturers cannot afford any further delays in the process. mgr/luk
Flottengrenzwerte
Council Presidency heads into platform work trilogue without a mandate
Despite concessions from the European Parliament, it is entirely unclear, just before the end of the legislative period, whether the EU will combat false self-employment on major digital platforms more effectively in the future. The Belgian presidency will head into the last trilogue on the platform work directive on Thursday without a mandate from the Council.
According to Table.Media sources, member states in the COREPER I meeting on Wednesday failed to reach a qualified majority for the current compromise text. Several country representatives complained about the lack of legal certainty if criteria triggering an employment presumption were completely abandoned. Nevertheless, the trilogue is scheduled to take place this Thursday. The Belgian presidency is expected to try to secure further concessions from Parliament. Germany has abstained so far. Consequently, reaching a majority on this dossier is particularly challenging.
Will the criteria return?
A source familiar with the Council’s positions stated: “There must be a precise clarification in the recitals at least on how the criteria for employment presumption should look.” Otherwise, there could be different interpretations across Europe of when a platform worker is considered self-employed or employed. “This would be a problem for both employees and the platforms themselves.”
The wording of these criteria and the threshold for fulfillment have always been a major point of contention between the Council and Parliament. The original proposal from the EU Commission envisaged EU-wide criteria, of which a certain minimum number must be met to trigger a suspicion of employment. The Council consistently insisted on a narrow definition of the criteria and advocated for a high threshold for triggering the presumption. In the seventh trilogue, Parliament offered that member states should decide themselves under what conditions the so-called employment presumption is triggered.
Time is running out for an agreement
Another COREPER I meeting is scheduled for Friday, where the directive will be discussed. This is the deadline by which negotiated laws can still be formalized in all EU languages in time for confirmation in the Council and Parliament. Otherwise, the procedure could only possibly be saved through the corrigendum procedure. Whether this can happen is currently unclear.
“The fact that there is a struggle over our alternative proposal on the Council side shows that everyone understands the seriousness of the situation. Now, 28 million affected individuals are watching closely to see if we are living up to our shared responsibility,” said CDU shadow rapporteur Dennis Radtke to Table.Media.
The Council and Parliament have been locked in a bitter dispute over the platform work law for months. An agreement was reached in the trilogue in December. However, the Council rejected the compromise – a rare occurrence. Besides the minimum wage directive, this dossier is considered the most important initiative in the field of labor and social affairs in this legislative period. lei
Arbeitnehmerrechte
ECR Group in the European Parliament opens to French far-right party
The ECR Group in the European Parliament has welcomed Nicolas Bay, MEP from Reconquête. With this move, the party family, under the leadership of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, is opening up to a far-right group. Reconquête – an allusion to the reconquest of Spain by the Christians – was founded in 2021 by Éric Zemmour to run in the 2022 French presidential election. He gained seven percent of the votes. A few months later, the party failed to pass the five percent threshold in the parliamentary elections.
The party rejects Islam and positions itself against the “growing influence of the LGBTQ movement.” Its vice presidents are MEP Bay and Marion Maréchal. She is the granddaughter of Front National founder Jean-Marie Le Pen and is married to Vicenzo Sofo, a Fratelli d’Italia MEP. She left the party of her aunt Marine Le Pen, the leader of the Rassemblement National, after falling out with her. During a joint appearance with ECR Group Leader Nicolas Procaccini in the European Parliament, she said: “The ECR is the natural family for Reconquête.”
EKR aims to become the strongest right-wing parliamentary group
In the new European Parliament, Maréchal, who heads the Reconquête list in the European elections, wants to fight against “EU centralism” and for the principle of subsidiarity in the ECR Group. “I want to oppose Macronism in the European Parliament.” When asked, Bay pointed out that he had always voted against the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine in the European Parliament and favored supporting the country.
In the Prague Declaration, the ECR laid down principles to which its members must commit themselves. As things stand, Reconquête has no plans to join the ECR party family. It is expected that Reconquête will be able to field around five MEPs in the European elections. ECR leader Meloni’s motivation for including Reconquête is also likely to be to beat the far-right ID in the European elections. The ID group is dominated by Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National. mgr
EU Parliament
European election 2024
France
New breeding methods: EU Parliament restricts Commission proposal
By 307 votes to 263, the plenary session of Parliament adopted its negotiating position on the proposed relaxation of EU genetic engineering legislation on Wednesday. MEPs thus backed the European Commission’s proposal to relax the rules for certain genetically modified plants – albeit with one important caveat. Parliament voted in favor of all products made from genetically modified plants having to be labeled “new genomic techniques.” In addition, the fact that a product was created using new breeding techniques should remain traceable along the entire supply chain.
In contrast, the Commission had proposed a significant relaxation of the labeling requirement for genetically modified plants, which could otherwise have been created conventionally. Only seeds would still have had to be labeled, processed products up to the supermarket shelf would no longer have to be labeled. The fact that the parliamentary plenary voted for stricter requirements on labeling and traceability is an important victory for the Greens and parts of the Social Democrats. Mandatory labeling is “elementary” and will allow consumers to “make an informed purchasing decision,” Martin Häusling, shadow rapporteur for the Greens, told Table.Media.
EPP: Parliament ‘votes for science’
Moreover, the now-adopted text – like that of the Environment Committee – contains a clause that excludes patents on genetically modified plants and seeds but conflicts with the European Patent Convention. Despite the caveats, however, the Greens, the Left and around half of the Social Democrats did not support the overall text in the end.
The EPP and Renew, which had advocated the reform of genetic engineering legislation, celebrated the adoption of the text as a success. EPP rapporteur Jessica Polfjärd was pleased after the vote and called it “a historic day” and a vote in favor of science
Praise also came from the German Farmers’ Association (DBV), which welcomed the parliamentary position as a “successful balancing of interests,” as well as from the scientific community. The aim is to use new breeding techniques “for the benefit and well-being of society and the environment,” emphasizes Nicolaus von Wirén, Managing Director of the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research
However, there are still no signs of a compromise on the dossier among the member states. The Belgian Council Presidency had also placed the issue on the agenda of EU ambassadors on Wednesday. However, no agreement was reached, and negotiations are now continuing at the working level, as a spokesperson confirmed. jd
EU-Gentechnikrecht
Deep-sea mining in Norway: EU Parliament criticizes decision
The EU Parliament passed a resolution in Strasbourg on Wednesday that clearly criticizes Norway’s decision to open up areas for deep-sea mining. 523 out of 616 MEPs voted in favor of the draft. The resolution calls on the EU Commission, the Member States and all other countries to support an international moratorium on deep-sea mining until its environmental impact has been sufficiently investigated.
On Jan. 9, the Norwegian parliament passed a resolution allowing an area of 281,200 square kilometers in the Arctic to be explored for possible seabed mining projects. The process is open-ended; further decisions on mining plans or permits depend on the Norwegian government. Initial mining plans must also be approved by parliament.
Parliament calls to evoke the precautionary principle and reminds Norway of its obligations as a party to relevant treaties, including on the management of fish stocks in the affected area.
Several EU member states, including Germany, France, Sweden and Finland, advocate a precautionary pause or a complete ban on deep-sea mining as part of negotiations in the International Seabed Authority (ISA). leo
Europäisches Parlament
Tiefseebergbau
EU Parliament suspends negotiations on firearms regulation
The European Parliament broke off yesterday’s negotiations with the Council on regulations for importing and exporting civilian firearms. The Belgian Council Presidency had demonstrated no willingness to negotiate on the scope of the new version of the so-called Firearms Regulation, EP rapporteur Bernd Lange (SPD) told Table.Media. “The European Parliament cannot tolerate this do-or-die attitude.”
In fall 2022, the EU Commission proposed updating the EU regulations for importing and exporting rifles and pistols for civilian use. According to Lange, however, the member states wanted to exempt all weapons that could be used for military purposes in particular, meaning that the new rules would apply to a smaller group than under the current 2012 regulation.
“Many weapons produced in the EU already end up in Latin American countries and are used there for illegal activities,” criticizes the Chairman of the Trade Committee. “We must put a stop to this with strict export regulations.” He urged the Council to make some progress here after all. tho
Frontex expects rising migration numbers
The EU border protection agency Frontex expects the number of migrants entering Europe to rise this year compared to 2023. The flow of those fleeing war or poverty cannot be stopped completely, Frontex head Hans Leijtens told Reuters.
“We need to manage migration because we can’t cope with unmanaged migration to Europe,” said Leijtens. “But a full stop – for me that seems very difficult, not to say impossible.”
Significantly more people from West Africa
Last year, Frontex registered 380,000 irregular border crossings, the highest number since 2016. This means that more and more people have entered Europe illegally every year since 2020. According to Leijtens, this trend will continue. He expects more people from sub-Saharan Africa to try to reach Europe. Whether the Gaza war will spark migration to Europe remains to be seen.
In January alone, irregular immigration from West Africato the EU increased more than tenfold compared to the same month last year. According to previously unpublished Frontex data for January, the Atlantic route is the most frequently used for crossing to Europe. According to the United Nations, more than 3,700 migrants died on their way to Europe last year. rtr
Asyl
Migrationspolitik
Heads
Christophe Clergeau – the man who wants to regulate agricultural markets in favor of farmers
Agriculture expert Christophe Clergeau at a committee meeting.
It was through Jacques Delors and Michel Rocard that French MEP and agricultural expert Christophe Clergeau (S&D) first came into contact with European matters. The staunchly pro-European stance of the two socialists differed significantly from public opinion in France, which can quickly swing towards Euroscepticism.
In 2019, Christophe Clergeau was appointed National Secretary for Europe of the Socialist Party. He was also elected regional councilor for Pays de la Loire, his home region in mid-western France. His mandate as a regional councilor allows him to keep one foot on the ground, explains Clergeau. The European circle closed when he moved up to the European Parliament on June 2 last year after Éric Andrieu resigned his mandate.
He has a good chance of being re-elected. He is in a good position on the joint list of the Socialist Party and the “Place Publique” movement founded by French MEP Raphaël Glucksmann for the European elections. Members of the Parti Socialiste will vote on the list this Thursday, and it will be officially confirmed on February 10. From then on, Raphaël Glucksmann will be able to lead the joint list into the European election campaign. The French Greens and Renaissance, the French branch of Renew, will be anything but pleased, as all three political groups will be trying to fish for votes from the same camp of pro-European and liberal voters.
‘Agriculture, the environment and health are inseparable’
In the European Parliament, Clergeau sits on the committees for agriculture, environment (biodiversity, climate change and health) and development aid for North-South relations. He knows a thing or two about agriculture: In 1997, he headed the cabinet of Louis Le Pensec, the then-Socialist Minister of Agriculture. In 1999, he left Paris to join AgroCampus Ouest in Rennes as a teaching and research assistant. The university focuses on agricultural education.
While the European agricultural sector is in a deep crisis, Clergeau, a trained economist and historian, believes that the political discourse “no longer addresses” the problems of the agricultural sector. He diagnoses an “agricultural conservatism” that is becoming “increasingly radical” in its resistance to the agricultural transition.
Christophe Clergeau would like to regulate agricultural markets
“Agriculture, the environment and health will be played off against each other, despite these three elements being inextricably linked,” explains Clergeau. He is leading the negotiations on new genetic technologies (NGTs) as shadow rapporteur for the S&D. By introducing new technologies and controlling standards, these contradictions can be eliminated, he explains. A position that could turn his camp against him. He demands that NGTs should continue to be regulated just as strictly as conventional genetic engineering. This position is at odds with that of the coordinator of the Socialist Group in the Agriculture Committee, Clara Aguilera, who has spoken out in favor of the development of NGTs, including in organic farming.
ChristopheClergeau also calls for the regulation of agricultural markets. “The price fluctuations on the agricultural markets do not allow farmers, especially those who run small and medium-sized farms, to receive a fair income,” says the MEP. He believes that the economic liberalism taking hold in the agricultural world is disadvantaging farmers.
And the MEP also sees this market logic reflected in the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): “The financial support that comes from the CAP privileges large-scale production and drives the expansion of farms. And it is aid without conditions.” He sees trade agreements as another face of this economic liberalism, “they put farmers in competition with each other who are not subjected to the same standards,” he says. “That’s why I favor regulating markets to protect farmers’ incomes.” Claire Stam
