The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) has called on the vice-president of the European Commission Frans Timmermans to resign.
In a seething statement accusing Timmermans of interfering in the European Parliament’s negotiations on the nature restoration law, ICSA president Dermot Kelleher said that his conduct has been “unacceptable”.
“Phil Hogan was pushed out for less,” he quipped.
Kelleher has said he was “shocked and appalled” at the alleged interference by the Commissioner and his officials in the decision around the new law.
“A red line has been crossed and they must be held accountable. There is a real question mark about whether the position of vice-president Timmermans is now tenable and Commissioner Sinkevicius will have to account for the actions of DG ENVI officials,” he said.
DG ENVI is the environmental department of the Commission, with Virginijus Sinkevicius the Commissioner for the Environment, working under Timmermans.
Accusations
The ICSA president accused the DG ENVI officials of actively lobbying and harassing MEPs with emails and briefing documents in favour of a hard-line approach to the nature restoration law.
He said that, specifically, Commission vice-president Timmermans himself threatened EPP MEPs that their legislative priorities would be hindered if they did not back the new law, which includes rewetting targets, as proposed.
The European Commission should not interfere in rewetting negotiations, said the ICSA. \ Clive Wasson
“This is totally out of order in our view. The [European] Commission is just one of the three institutional partners in the EU law making process.
"It has a very specific mandate to draft legislative proposals and it is also has the key role to - independently of the member states - oversee the implementation of EU policies, regulations and directives in the first instance,” he said.
Kelleher insisted that the making of EU laws is a matter for a three-way process between the institutions under what is formally known as the “co-decision procedure”.
“This three-way process is set out in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and it must be respected by members of the EU institutions at all costs,” he explained.
‘Unacceptable’
The Cork farmer said it is “unacceptable that directly elected MEPs would be subjected to this interference and intimidation”.
Vice-president of the European Commission Frans Timmermans.
“For a long time now, [the] ICSA has been of the view that Mr Timmermans is out of control and wields too much power for one individual at a time when there is increasing unease that 'Brussels' is getting completely detached from the views of the citizens it is meant to serve,” he said.
Detailing the accusations against Timmermans, Kelleher said they will do more to decrease the trust Irish farmers have in the ongoings of Brussels.
Read more
EU puts money and greater flexibility on rewetting table
The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) has called on the vice-president of the European Commission Frans Timmermans to resign.
In a seething statement accusing Timmermans of interfering in the European Parliament’s negotiations on the nature restoration law, ICSA president Dermot Kelleher said that his conduct has been “unacceptable”.
“Phil Hogan was pushed out for less,” he quipped.
Kelleher has said he was “shocked and appalled” at the alleged interference by the Commissioner and his officials in the decision around the new law.
“A red line has been crossed and they must be held accountable. There is a real question mark about whether the position of vice-president Timmermans is now tenable and Commissioner Sinkevicius will have to account for the actions of DG ENVI officials,” he said.
DG ENVI is the environmental department of the Commission, with Virginijus Sinkevicius the Commissioner for the Environment, working under Timmermans.
Accusations
The ICSA president accused the DG ENVI officials of actively lobbying and harassing MEPs with emails and briefing documents in favour of a hard-line approach to the nature restoration law.
He said that, specifically, Commission vice-president Timmermans himself threatened EPP MEPs that their legislative priorities would be hindered if they did not back the new law, which includes rewetting targets, as proposed.
The European Commission should not interfere in rewetting negotiations, said the ICSA. \ Clive Wasson
“This is totally out of order in our view. The [European] Commission is just one of the three institutional partners in the EU law making process.
"It has a very specific mandate to draft legislative proposals and it is also has the key role to - independently of the member states - oversee the implementation of EU policies, regulations and directives in the first instance,” he said.
Kelleher insisted that the making of EU laws is a matter for a three-way process between the institutions under what is formally known as the “co-decision procedure”.
“This three-way process is set out in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and it must be respected by members of the EU institutions at all costs,” he explained.
‘Unacceptable’
The Cork farmer said it is “unacceptable that directly elected MEPs would be subjected to this interference and intimidation”.
Vice-president of the European Commission Frans Timmermans.
“For a long time now, [the] ICSA has been of the view that Mr Timmermans is out of control and wields too much power for one individual at a time when there is increasing unease that 'Brussels' is getting completely detached from the views of the citizens it is meant to serve,” he said.
Detailing the accusations against Timmermans, Kelleher said they will do more to decrease the trust Irish farmers have in the ongoings of Brussels.
Read more
EU puts money and greater flexibility on rewetting table
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