ECR Shadow Rapporteur Anna Zalewska criticised the European Parliament's adoption of the Effort Sharing Regulation, part of the Fit for 55 Package which is devoted to helping the EU meet commitments under the Paris Agreement.

“The mandatory annual greenhouse gas emission reductions that the EU wants to impose on Member States 2021-2030 could jeopardize the agricultural sector’s ability to ensure food security in Europe and the world,” Anna Zalewska commented.

The draft adopted by MEPs today in Strasbourg concerns direct greenhouse gas emissions from transport, buildings, industrial installations and gases not covered by the Emissions Trading System, but most importantly agriculture. It de facto forces the hands of farmers and land managers to prioritise carbon capture over food and feed production.

“Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we are facing a global hunger crisis. This is absolutely not the right time to subject the Union and its agricultural sector to additional requirements. The decision of the European Parliament could affect food production and EU competitiveness and hence increase the price of food even further. We cannot pretend that the war in Ukraine is not happening, or that the pandemic’s effects are non-existent”, Ms Zalewska said.

“The proposal does not address the current situation, nor does it contain provisions for the case of a force majeure that a particular Member State or the EU as a whole may experience. In my opinion, there should have been more flexibility for Member States.

“In amendments we have tried to open up options for technological carbon capture for member states to meet their commitments. But the Parliament has shown its technology-hostile side here”, Ms Zalewska added.