After tractor protests - Bundestag to decide on relief for farmers
After the nationwide farmer protests against the end of Diesel subsidies in winter, the Bundestag (11.05 AM) is scheduled to pass reliefs for farmers. The legislative plans of the Traffic Light Coalition include tax easements for fluctuating profits, for example, due to the weather. The position of farmers in the supply chain up to trading is to be strengthened. New incentives for voluntary ecological performance are also planned.
Bundesminister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir told the German Press Agency: "Our farmer women and farmers are motivated to do more for the environment and animal welfare – but it has to pay off for them." This will now be implemented with two new ecological regulations that apply to both conventional and organic farming businesses. "We are increasing the budget for ecological regulations without making any cuts to the basic payments from EU agricultural financing," said the Green politician. "Dairy farms, which keep their cows out to pasture, will benefit most from this."
New Environmental Incentives
Concretely, two new ecological regulations are to be introduced from 2026, which honor voluntary environmental performance - one for cattle grazing and another for improving biological diversity. There should be no cuts in basic payments from EU agricultural financing for this. It is also to be determined that the EU environmental requirement for fallow land can be suspended indefinitely.
The coalition promised farmers relief after their protests. This includes a tax easement, from which the industry is expected to profit on average by 50 million Euros per year, according to the draft law. Farmers should be able to offset results from good and bad years. This should mitigate the effect that a higher tax rate kicks in with higher income. The currently time-limited exemption is to be extended for farmers until 2028.
Moreover, the position of farmers in the supply chain from the field to supermarkets is to be strengthened. Plans include, for example, permanently including certain suppliers in a protective shield against unfair business practices.
- The relief for farmers, as promised by the Traffic Light Coalition after their nationwide protests, includes implementing new environmental incentives from 2026.
- The German Press Agency reported that Cem Özdemir, Bundesminister of Agriculture, stated that the new ecological regulations will benefit farmers who are committed to environmental and animal welfare practices.
- The farmers' protests against the end of Diesel subsidies led to the Bundestag scheduling reliefs for farmers, which include tax easements for fluctuating profits in agriculture.
- According to the draft law, the extension of the currently time-limited exemption for farmers until 2028 is expected to provide an average annual profit of 50 million Euros for the industry.
- The Traffic Light Coalition's legislative plans also involve strengthening the position of farmers in the supply chain, including the permanent inclusion of certain suppliers in a protective shield against unfair business practices.
