Özdemir's "Middle Way" – Harmony between Environment and Agriculture

In a balancing act between ecological foresight and economic support for farmers, Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir proposes the uncompromising implementation of an EU environmental directive. At the same time, he signals incentives for increased biodiversity. The Green politician pursues a middle course, intended to seamlessly enact the EU Commission's decision to relax certain environmental regulations, while simultaneously improving farmers' incomes through species protection measures. The EU Commission has relaxed the regulation, which mandates that 4% of arable land be left fallow, as part of its relief policy for farmers. With the amendment effective retrospectively from January 1, member states are given the option to object to this relaxation by the end of February. Özdemir makes it clear that current challenges must not be solved at the expense of the environment. He sees the need to intelligently link competitiveness and species protection. For this reason, funds for the voluntary eco-schemes that farmers can implement should be significantly increased from 2025 to compensate for the loss of fallow land. The Agriculture Minister advocates for this approach, which promotes compromise among his coalition partners; it not only enhances planning security but also proves to be financially beneficial for farmers. He emphasizes the importance of stable regulations beyond the current EU funding period until 2027, instead of having to deal with annual exceptions that conflict with farmers' long-term crop planning.