A “concrete victory” For “farmers who do not make a living from their work today“. Therefore Marie Pochon (Ecologist) qualified the text of which she was the rapporteur. Late Thursday evening, April 4, the National Assembly adopted, at first reading, the bill “aiming to guarantee a decent income for farmers and to support the agricultural transition” (89 for, 66 against, 13 abstentions).
The text, examined within the framework of the parliamentary initiative day of the Ecologist groupaims to respond to the “Fed up“farmers by establishing a mechanism of “floor prices“for agricultural production. The government and the presidential majority opposed it, judging it “inoperative” And “counter productive“.
The Minister Delegate to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, Agnès Pannier-Runacherdenounced, at the end of the vote, A “political coup“ : “If we want to kill our agriculture, let’s move forward with administered prices, that will not be our action!“The left-wing groups and the LIOT deputies voted in favor of the text, while the National Rally group abstained and the Republicans did not take part in the vote.
Prices changed every four months
The bill plans to establish a “minimum purchase price of agricultural products” taking into account in particular “production costs in each sector, farmer remuneration and the diversity of production areas and systems“.
These floor priceswhich cannot be lower than production costs, must, if the text is definitively adopted, be revised at least every four months. The calculations must take into account a level of remuneration of farmers equivalent to 2 Smic, but also the size of the operation or the specificity of overseas territories. The price will be set by public sector conferences or, failing that, by the Ministers of Economy and Agriculture.
The text also proposes to set up a “fund dedicated to the agroecological transition“and to the”organic production“ financed by aincrease in taxation on profits from the agri-food and phytosanitary industries“. The measures in the proposed law would be financed by a “additional contributionequivalent to ten percent of the profits generated by the agri-food industries, the distribution sector, phytosanitary products and synthetic fertilizers“.
A close vote in November
In November 2023, the National Assembly had rejected by a few votes a similar bill from rebellious Francewhich established “a minimum purchase price for agricultural raw materials“. This device returned to public debate on February 24, when the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, affirmed to be in favor of “floor prices that will protect agricultural income“.”Public speech [du chef de l’Etat] matters and more than that, she engaged“, commented Marie Pochon (Ecologist). “The President of the Republic should thank us, we [qui voulons] ensure that this promise is kept“, also affirmed Aurélie Trouvé (Rebellious France).
“The President of the Republic did not never wanted to enter an administered price system“, reacted Anne-Laure Babault (Democrat). According to her, floor prices risk becoming “ceiling prices“ due to “fierce price war between major retail players“.”Your recommendations are ineffective“, for her part explained the Minister Delegate to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty Agnès Pannier-Runacherwho however confided “share initial ambitions“of the environmentalist bill.”It’s not not within the law to set prices“, further pleaded the minister. According to her, the mechanism proposed by the environmentalist deputies risks promote the importation of foreign agricultural products cheaper and of lower quality.
Agnes Pannier-Runacher estimated that the solution could, on the other hand, come from a “best app“devices from of the General conditions of food. The government wishes to wait for conclusions of the mission entrusted to the deputies Anne-Laure Babault (Democrat) and Alexis Izard (Renaissance): this must “assess a potential evolution of the legislative and regulatory framework of the EGalim laws and, more generally, commercial negotiations“. A text, resulting from the work of the mission, should be presented this summerspecified Agnès Pannier-Runacher.
Tense session in the hemicycle
The environmentalist deputies understood in the afternoon that they had the possibility of having their text adopted: they succeeded in doing so. adopt several amendments against the advice of the governmentlike that of the rapporteur Marie Pochonpredicting that “if the minimum price [fixé] is lower than the market price, it is the latter which must be taken into account by the parties in the context of their negotiations“. The deputies also clarified that if the public sector conference does not agree on a new price and the government does not revise it either, then the last minimum price set will cease to apply after a year.
This succession of victories on the part of the oppositions contributed to increasing tension within the hemicycle: the elected representatives of the left accused the majority, but also Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher, of knowingly slow down the debates to prevent the vote. “There are a minimum of uses, which are to not spoil these days” of parliamentary initiative, notably launched Sandra Regol (Ecologist).
“All year long, you obstruct texts that you consider bad“, replied Alexis Izard (Renaissance), which claimed the right for the deputies of the majority to “demonstrate why“they were opposed to the text.”I have no moral lesson to receive” also responded Agnès Pannier-Runacherwho claimed that the government was working “morning noon and evening” on the income of farmers.
Just before the 8 p.m. break, Bruno Millienne (Democrat) strongly questioned the environmentalist deputies, after the adoption of article 1 of the text: “I really want you redeemed your conscience after pissing off the farmers for decades, but it doesn’t work.” Antoine Léaument (La France insoumise) then accused the elected MoDem of wanting to provoke “tumultuous scenes“ to prevent examination of the text.
Continue organic farming on your terraces, and leave the farmers alone! Bruno Millienne
His intervention also provoked the anger of the president of the deputies of the Ecologist group, Cyrielle Chatelain : “You do not take responsibility for your vote, you do not take responsibility for not having protected the farmers! (…) If farmers lower their prices, it is because you are cowards, because you vote for CETAthat you refuse to take the money where it is!“
“You were so obstructive that I had to delete my editorial amendments“, explained Marie Pochon, following the examination of the law. “This text will need to be consolidated“, she added.
And the environmentalist MP warns the executive: “This victory sets the intention of the majority of the National Assembly before the agricultural orientation law.“Calendar obliges, the examination of this bill has, in a way, served as a first round before the debate on the “guidance bill for agricultural sovereignty and the renewal of generations in agriculture”. Presented to the Council of Ministers, Wednesday April 3, the government text will be examined in May in the National Assembly, with the ambition of contributing to providing responses to the agricultural crisis. For his part, the bill, which has just been adopted at first reading, is only at the beginning of its legislative journey which will now have to continue in the Senate.
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