About: Janusz Wojciechowski
Play nice if you want our agri-trade: EU hangs food security threat over Turkey
Turkey must play by the rules if it hopes to strengthen its agricultural relations with the EU in order to bolster its food security in light of the Ukraine war, member states stressed ahead of a high-level meeting this week.
Agrifood Brief: Who’s afraid of Farm to Fork?
Has the recent debate over food security somehow compromised the sustainable ambitions of the Green Deal food chapter, the Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy? That’s the question that – very timidly – many in EU the bubble have started to...
Timmermans: Scaremongering on food security ‘dishonest, irresponsible’
Spreading fears of food shortages is “irresponsible and dishonest”, according to European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans, who accused critics of using the war as a "pretext" to derail the EU’s green farming ambitions.
CAP talks could be impacted by recent French fallow land derogation
While the war in Ukraine continues, French farmers are permitted to cultivate fallow land in order to increase production. The question now is whether the direction of the new Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) will also be affected. EURACTIV France reports.
Slovakia forges ahead on carbon farming
While the EU is still waiting for the European Commission to propose a common framework on promoting farming practices that help remove carbon from the atmosphere, Slovakia has charged ahead and drawn up a new land-use climate fund.
Small farmers: The unsung heroes of the Ukraine war
The war in Ukraine has thrown up concerns over food security, both in the war-torn country and elsewhere in the world. But the key to ensuring Ukraine's food supply may come from an unlikely place: small and medium-scale farmers.
EU farm lawmakers want to have their say on land-use emissions framework
EU agriculture ministers and MEPs from European Parliament's agriculture committee want to see farmers' interests included in the new framework for land-use emissions, a responsibility that falls to their 'environment' colleagues.
Industrial emissions proposal criticised by farming sector
Lawmakers and stakeholders close to the agriculture community accused the EU executive of being disconnected from reality and creating additional bureaucracy after presenting new rules to curb pollution in the industrial sector.
Commission considers call for exceptional flexibility under CAP second pillar
The EU executive is open to looking in detail into member states' call for more flexibility in the rural development spending to help European farmers hit by the Ukraine war, which has put further pressure on the agriculture sector.
Agriculture Commissioner: It is ‘prudent’ to prioritise upping EU food production
Increasing food production in Europe is a priority in light of the Ukraine war, according to the EU's agri-boss, who detailed how the European Commission encourages member states can do this through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
EU-wide protein strategy on the cards as Commission changes its tune
The European Commission has now backed the creation of an EU-wide protein strategy, U-turning on a previous position after persistent lobbying from MEPs and member states.
Member states call for unified EU plant protein strategy
Member states have joined forces to call for an EU-wide plant protein strategy, which they say is needed “more than ever” in light of the war in Ukraine, but the European Commission is currently unwilling to play ball.
Russia deliberately targets Ukraine’s food supply to create hunger, says Commission
Russia is deliberately targeting Ukraine’s food supply in a bid to create hunger in the country, according to EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski, who drew parallels between now and the great famine of the 1930s, the ‘Holodomor’.
EU holds pesticide reduction, biodiversity preservation proposals amid Ukraine war
The European Commission has pushed back the tabling of its 'Nature protection package', which included the proposal to slash the use and risk of chemical pesticides in half by 2030 and nature restoration targets which aim at halting biodiversity loss in Europe.
EU executive split on ‘suspending’ Green deal goals in farming due to food security fears
Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski wants to hold off implementing the EU's flagship sustainable food policy, the Farm to Fork strategy, despite Commission Vice-President Fran Timmermans' call to preserve the EU's green ambition even in challenging times.
G7 agri ministers commit to keeping food markets open, supporting Ukraine
The G7 countries’ agriculture ministers signed a joint declaration committing to keep food markets open and support food supply in Ukraine in an extraordinary meeting on Friday (11 March).
Ministers, EU lawmakers worried over rising farm production prices
After farmers have been complaining about high production costs for months, the escalating Russia Ukraine crisis has given the issue additional urgency. National agriculture ministers as well as EU lawmakers have expressed concerns about the situation.
Agriculture ministers stumped over details on deforestation-free imports
Member states are divided on the details of a proposal designed to prevent imports into Europe linked with deforestation, despite a concerted push from the French, who have placed the file as a top priority during its rotating EU presidency.
Carbon farming: EU ministers find the devil in the details
While France’s Julien Denormandie lauded member states’ enthusiasm on low-carbon agriculture, the informal meeting of EU agriculture ministers in Strasbourg revealed tricky technical questions on the matter that still lie ahead.
Sixty-eight countries commit to carbon capture, soil protection
A total of 68 countries agreed to contribute to climate protection and biodiversity conservation by protecting agricultural soils at last week's World Conference of agriculture ministers in Berlin. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Agrifood Brief: Mirror, mirror – or a wall?
How to make trade the fairest of them all? That was the big theme of the French EU presidency, under which agricultural minister Julien Denormandie made his debut as chair of the agriculture and fisheries (AGRIFISH) Council this week. The...
Commission still hesitant to step in and relieve distressed pig farmers
It is not time yet for Brussels to intervene directly in one of the worse crises for European pig farmers, as the EU executive is still confident the sector will find a way out on its own.
Commissioner: Belarus food import embargo ‘weapon’ as part of hybrid attack on EU
EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski has branded the food import embargo instated by Belarus a ‘weapon’ that is part of a hybrid attack against the EU and vowed to support the member states most impacted by the restrictions.