Farmers’ protests: parliamentary groups of the traffic light coalition want to negotiate with farmers

2024-01-12 09:34:49

Farmers’ protests: parliamentary groups of the traffic light coalition want to negotiate with farmers

Norbert Lehmann, AGRARHEUTE*

© Anke Fritz

Monday [15 janvier 2024], Berlin must not only host the big demonstration to close the farmers’ action week. The leaders of the parliamentary groups in the traffic light coalition also want to negotiate with farmers. Meanwhile, the Minister of Agriculture of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Till Backhaus, has drawn up a compromise document.

Things are moving in the conflict over agricultural diesel: the leaders of the parliamentary group of the traffic light coalition want to negotiate on Monday [15 janvier 2024] with representatives of farmers’ associations. The Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Till Backhaus, presents an interesting compromise proposal.

© IMAGO/Christian Spicker

The heads of the parliamentary groups of the traffic light coalition, Rolf Mützenich (SPD), Britt Haßelmann (Greens) and Christian Dürr (FDP), invite the farmers’ associations to dialogue.

The chairmen of the parliamentary groups of the traffic light coalition – SPD, FDP and Greens – are inviting representatives of the agricultural federations to a meeting in Berlin next Monday (January 15). The letter, of which AGRARHEUTE has become aware, is addressed to the steering committees of AbL, BDM, BÖLW, DBV, DLG, Landfrauen, Landjugend and LsV.

On the day of the big demonstration in Berlin, group leaders Rolf Mützenich (SPD), Christian Dürr (FDP) and Britta Haßelmann (Greens) not only want to discuss savings plans for agricultural diesel with farmers’ representatives. A compromise proposal from Schwerin [Mecklembourg-Poméranie Occidentale] might be important.

It’s not just regarding agricultural diesel

The current protests clearly show that farmers are not only concerned regarding the financial burdens, but also regarding the lack of planning security and economic prospects, the invitation letter reads.

The group leaders therefore clearly wish to broaden the scope of the themes covered. Because even if the abolition of agricultural diesel and the introduction, since canceled, of a tax on agricultural and forestry vehicles directly triggered the protests, it became clear that the recent economic decisions were only the straw that broke the camel’s back for farmers.

Parliamentary groups discuss federal government savings package

The offer of dialogue suggests that the parliamentary groups of the traffic light coalition might still see room for negotiation in the budget plans. Parliamentary discussions on austerity plans will begin on Monday with the public hearing of the Finance Commission on the financing law for the 2024 budget.

By January 18 at the Budget Commission’s finalization meeting, it will be known whether the coalition groups support the government’s plan and its plan to increase energy taxes for agriculture.

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Minister Backhaus develops compromise proposal

Faced with the unanimous demand of the state agricultural ministries led by the CDU, but also, in the meantime, of three SPD minister-presidents, the government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz is under considerable pressure to correct its trajectory once more. The negotiation offer from the group leaders of the traffic light coalition to the representatives of agriculture might be an attempt to find a way out of the situation that saves Chancellor Scholz’s face.

In this context, a compromise document negotiated yesterday by the Minister of Agriculture of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Till Backhaus, with representatives of farmers’ and fishermen’s associations might prove interesting.

Melt the rebate for agricultural diesel from 2027

The Schwerin compromise document provides for the following key points:

The rebate on agricultural diesel will be reduced by 10 percent from 2027. This corresponds to around 40 million euros per year at federal level.

At the same time, an incentive and innovation program for transformation will be launched.

The production of alternative fuels on national surfaces (biogas, biodiesel, bioethanol) must be made possible.

The 1 billion euros planned for the transformation of pig farming must be scrapped, because they will not be enough to actually create incentives and planning security for farmers in any case.

The tax privilege granted to hybrid vehicles that are not used primarily for electricity is also under scrutiny, as is the Growth Opportunities Act. According to Backhaus, there is a saving potential of around 1.2 billion euros for hybrid vehicles, while the Growth Opportunities Act provides for relief of 7 billion euros per year until 2028.

A 1 percent increase in the energy tax is expected to raise almost a billion euros to close the deficit and accelerate the shift to biofuels.

In addition, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is proposing to reallocate around 1.2 billion unused euros from a hardship fund for sustainable and sustainable development of agriculture, forestry and fishing. private households which heat themselves with fuels not linked to efficiency measures,

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* Norbert Lehmann has worked as a specialist journalist for more than 25 years. After studying agricultural economics in Bonn, the Agra-Europe press and information service was his first professional step. He made frequent stays in Brussels as a correspondent. Subsequently, activities within the Handelsblatt publishing group, in scientific public relations as well as as a freelancer. He has worked at dlv since 2012, most recently as head of the Management & Markt section in the AGRARHEUTE editorial office.

Source: Farmers’ protest: traffic light factions want to negotiate with farmers | agrarheute.com

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