Agriculture, nominee Hansen to EU Parliament: “I intend to be a boots-on-the-ground commissioner”

Brussels – Nine million farms provide Europeans with “safe, high-quality food,” representing the first line of defense against biodiversity loss and climate change. However, they are under increasing economic pressure. This was the starting point for Christophe Hansen – a Luxembourger, Popular, born in 1982 – who was appointed European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food at his hearing last night before members of the European Parliament’s Agriculture and Rural Development Committee.

“Our farmers are under pressure to carve out a living from their work, under pressure from climate change, from geopolitical instability and unfair competition, and from increasing regulatory complexity and administrative burden. Farmers felt their voices were not heard, so they took to the streets earlier this year. This is why I intend to be a boots-on-the-ground Commissioner,” he said. Hence, Hansen’s commitment to build on and continue the ‘Strategic Dialogue’ on the sector’s future, visit farmers throughout the continent, and develop – in close cooperation with Parliament – a vision for the future agricultural and food policy during his first 100 days in office.

Among other points, he addressed generational turnover, income, European standards, and trade. “Only 10 percent of farmers now are under 40 years old,” and “therefore, I intend to develop a strategy on generational turnover, in close cooperation with young farmers,” Hansen explained. In addition, the EU is called upon to “defend an income policy.” To do so, it must “use all resources: income from the market, public income support, investments and other alternative sources of financing.” However, “support from the CAP remains essential because it guarantees a fair wage and rewards them for their efforts in the ecosystem.” In addition, “It is crucial that our farmers should not be forced to systematically sell their products below the production costs. We need to beef up their bargaining position,” he pointed out.

The commissioner-designate then pointed out that “one of the main concerns expressed” is that the EU holds “our own producers to higher standards than non-EU producers.” Therefore, “if confirmed as Commissioner, I will work with my future colleagues to address these issues and see how to ensure the application of our standards by any imports in compliance with the World Trade Organization rules,” he said. For Hansen, the CAP remains the framework, but work on simplification must continue to “find the right balance between incentives, investments, and regulation” and “ensure that our farmers are not burdened by excessive bureaucracy.”

In addition, “If confirmed, I will closely monitor the impact of any new measure on our farms and farmers,” he pointed out. Finally, for the commissioner-designate, “agriculture is a strategic sector for the EU,” where we need to avoid creating “a greater dependence” on imports. On the climate action front, we need “a strong agricultural budget that is adequate and ensures that we can give the incentives to farmers to contribute to the fight against climate change, against the loss of biodiversity and pollinators. These incentives need to be done better, and I think there is room to maneuver.” Finally, trade agreements, which, according to Hansen, whether it is Mercosur or the one that has already entered into force with China on the defense of geographic indications, are “in the interest of our farmers.”