“The amendments should be positively assessed as they remove and greatly streamline elements of the Green Deal, aligning with the expectations of farmers", Czesław Siekierski was quoted as saying in a ministry press release on Friday.
Earlier in the day, the EC proposed an easing of a series of rules on leaving land fallow or rotating crops, offering concessions to farmers who have protested with tractor blockades across Poland and Europe over the past few months.
“The amendments proposed by the European Commission meet the call for simplification voiced by Poland and effectively address the concerns of farmers, expressed during protests", Siekierski said.
“These changes focus on requirements that could potentially curb production and increase costs”, he added.
Meanwhile, EU's Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski arrived in his native Poland on Friday to outline the reforms.
Polish farmers have been among those that have staged weeks of protest across the EU to press a series of demands, including removing restrictions placed on them by the EU's Green Deal plan to tackle climate change, as they say they cannot afford them.
Poland's farmers have a particular grievance because of increased competition from neighbouring non-EU Ukraine's farmers, who they accuse of flooding EU markets with cheap imports that leave them unable to compete.Hence, a large part of their protests have included blockades of border crossings with Ukraine.
EC proposals concentrate on offering farmers more flexibility in heeding mainly environmental rules, such as to protect peat land, limit water pollution and soil erosion,while continuing to benefit from EU agriculture fund payments.
(mo)
Source: PAP, Reuters