Les coprésidents Godela von Kirchbach et Jan Stel de l’association des GPC européens ont écrit une lettre à Ursula von der Leyen à propos de la mise en œuvre du Green Deal, des protestations des agriculteurs et de la réglementation relative à l’agriculture durable.

Découvrez-la ci-dessous :

Open Letter to Ursula von der Leyen – President of the European Commission

Feb 27, 2024

Re:  Implementation Green Deal – Farmers protest – Sustainable Use Regulation

Dear Madam President,

The European Grandparents for Climate, EGC, was formally founded in Brussels on November 30^th 2023, after an incubating period of two years, during which the organization was developed. All members personally invested more than € 18.000 to meet in Brussels. This signals a strong commitment.

In Brussels we discussed the needs and objectives of our organization with Members of the European Parliament. The EGC is based in Vienna, where a Verein was established on December 16^th, 2023. The membership of the EGC is growing as more organisations are joining us every month. This signals that the 65+ part of the European society and representing a voting power of some 21%, is mobilising for the future of our youth.

We are seriously worried about the world we are leaving to future generations and support the younger generations in their rightful demand for a sustainable future. In our opinion the European Green Deal is instrumental in this. However, this Green Deal is attacked by powerful industrial and political lobbies.

We note that both at the European level and in many member states, the political will to pursue the much-needed sustainability transition, is coming under increasing pressure as a result of the upcoming elections. We find this disturbing, as the future of our youth is at stake.

Recently, farmers all over Europe took to the streets in discontent. Clearly, they feel that their livelihoods are threatened, by fuel taxes, border taxes, nitrogen measures, etc. In these loud and disruptive protests little or no distinction is made between industrialized farming and sustainable agriculture or organic farming. It strikes us that politicians at both the European and national levels, do not take this basic difference into account. Yet, it is their moral and legal duty to lead us into a sustainable Europe of tomorrow.

We want to stress that we have ended up in today’s planetary crises because of our human activities that do not take our natural environment into account. It is high time to finally do so. It is time for implementing the Green Deal rigorously and in this situation especially the Farm to Fork part, which relates to our complex, expensive food chain. It is time that farmers get fair prices for their work and product. It is time for a system change within Europe.

Giving in to the demands of the industrial farmers and their related industrial lobby is only leading to more intensified protests in the near future and a continuation of an unsustainable future for Europe. Slowly this ticket to a better future and world is being sacrificed to short-sightedness, nationalism, inaction and self-preservation. We are entering the eye of a social storm.

In this context we are disappointed and concerned about your announcement in the European Parliament to withdraw the Sustainable Use Regulation, SUR. This new Pesticides Directive is urgently needed for halving the use of pesticides in Europe by 2030. This is again a victory for the agrochemical industry, and a step backwards in the protection of our health and biodiversity.

As the older generation with all the life experience we have realized that system change is a huge task that will provoke all kinds of resistance. History has shown that again and again. But system change must come, and we ask you to muster the necessary moral courage to lead and act in the interest of future generations and not of short-sighted, irresponsible self-interest. Only decisive and consequent action now with all the cost it involves, can avoid much greater and partially irreversible damage in the future. Be the leader that you were elected to be and represent the interest of the European people as a whole, now and in the future.

Sincerely yours,
Mag. Dr. Godela von Kirchbach (Vienna) and Prof. em. Jan Stel (Belgium), co-chairs of EGC