EU should own what it did on farm policy – McGuinness
Commenting on the farmer protests of 2024 Mairead McGuinness recalled telling those in Brussels that there were “rumblings of discontent in the countryside"
Former European Commissioner Mairead McGuinness. \ Finbarr O'Rourke
The European Commission should own what it did in the past around farm policy, former European Commissioner for Financial Stability Mairead McGuinness has said.
She told the Macra AGM in Ennis on Saturday that she had told former colleagues in the Commission that Brussels had encouraged farmers to drive on with spreading more fertiliser and to create bigger fields.
“We actually encouraged the move towards the bigger fields, the more fertiliser, keeping things neat and clean around field edges. We should own what we did and then encourage change,” she said.
Commenting on the farmer protests of 2024 she recalled telling those in Brussels that there were “rumblings of discontent in the countryside and it was everywhere across Europe”.
She believes there has been more recognition of farmers since then.
“You upset people if you blame them, but if you empower them to change, they will actually work with you,” she said.
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Title: EU should own what it did on farm policy – McGuinness
Commenting on the farmer protests of 2024 Mairead McGuinness recalled telling those in Brussels that there were “rumblings of discontent in the countryside"
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The European Commission should own what it did in the past around farm policy, former European Commissioner for Financial Stability Mairead McGuinness has said.
She told the Macra AGM in Ennis on Saturday that she had told former colleagues in the Commission that Brussels had encouraged farmers to drive on with spreading more fertiliser and to create bigger fields.
“We actually encouraged the move towards the bigger fields, the more fertiliser, keeping things neat and clean around field edges. We should own what we did and then encourage change,” she said.
Commenting on the farmer protests of 2024 she recalled telling those in Brussels that there were “rumblings of discontent in the countryside and it was everywhere across Europe”.
She believes there has been more recognition of farmers since then.
“You upset people if you blame them, but if you empower them to change, they will actually work with you,” she said.
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