00:00 We had a very constructive, a very good meeting.
00:04 We listened to the main complaints and worries and concerns of the farmers
00:10 and we discussed some of the short-term measures we have already taken,
00:14 for example concerning fallow land, but also the mid- and long-term concepts.
00:19 We are working together with the farmers in the strategic dialogue for the future
00:24 of agriculture in the European Union. So this was a very good meeting.
00:28 It's very important that we find common solutions.
00:31 We share the goals, for example the protection of nature,
00:34 because we all live in nature and with nature,
00:36 and the best ambassadors for nature are the farmers themselves.
00:40 And important is for us that we find common solutions how to reach the goal,
00:45 for example to protect the environment and nature.
00:48 What can be additional measures?
00:51 Now we've just taken measures.
00:54 An additional measure will be that we will propose how to reduce the bureaucratic burdens,
01:00 and this will be under the Belgian presidency discussed in the agricultural council.
01:05 Well, I think that it was a really honest discussion for the first time.
01:09 I think that something changed in the European Commission.
01:13 I think obviously elections are coming,
01:15 but I feel a real honest conversation with the Prime Minister and the President of the Commission.
01:21 She understood very precisely that we are suffering a lot of red tape.
01:27 We need to stop the bureaucracy. That's a real clear point.
01:31 And also she understood the necessity to put mirror clauses in every single trade agreement,
01:36 for instance in Mercosur.
01:38 And the last point that I think that it's super useful to mention,
01:41 she's really convinced about the necessity to approve new breeding techniques,
01:45 new genetic techniques to achieve the goals of the Green Deal.
01:50 Well, I think that it's a normal demonstration that we are, when we are a farmer,
01:55 you have a lot of coal because we are looking for some fire,
02:00 but I don't think that it's a violent deal.
02:02 If you've been there, you see also people eating, enjoying, speaking, even dancing.
02:08 So our main goal is to make a pacific demonstration.
02:12 So I think we had a good and a necessary meeting.
02:15 I think that a lot of the concerns that the agricultural world has are legitimate.
02:21 And what we see is they want to be a partner in the climate transition.
02:26 They've done a lot of efforts up to now,
02:28 but obviously they're confronted with what you could call a lasagna of measures
02:32 that all come at the same time.
02:34 I think the European Commission has shown their capability of taking rapid decisions.
02:39 The rule on 4% fallow land was being pushed in the future.
02:46 There is now also a clear timeline on how to work on administrative burden.
02:50 That will be a topic that the Belgian presidency will take up
02:53 by the Agri-Food, by the Agri-Meat, Agri-Council of February 26th.
03:00 There's also a longer term discussion on the economic model.
03:03 Our agricultural world is very productive.
03:08 It's the most sustainable in the world.
03:10 It delivers quality products.
03:12 We'll also need a pricing revenue that corresponds to that.
03:16 It is a complicated discussion.
03:18 But it is a discussion that we definitely need to have.
03:20 This was the first meeting.
03:22 We've been very clear that we want to work with the agricultural world
03:26 and not talk about the agricultural world.
03:28 And we'll continue doing that.
03:30 I'm going to listen to their requests.
03:32 We're going to see what we can do, in a reasonable way.
03:35 But I have a lot of understanding for their requests.
03:39 We're going to see how we can concretise that.
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