Peter Agius votes in favour of farmers and against new soil rules, calls for implementation that does not place further burdens on farmers

“Farmers need more help, not more European rules that impose new costs and paperwork on them,” said MEP Peter Agius today in Strasbourg at the end of the vote on a new Directive on Soil Monitoring.

The Directive will introduce new requirements in all EU countries to establish systems for regular checks and monitoring of soil quality and chemicals.

The proposed Directive is already supported by the European Commission and the Council of Ministers and will introduce new checks and regular soil monitoring in Malta. Nationalist Party MEPs Peter Agius and David Casa voted against the Directive.

“When farmers protested, we promised to listen to them. Back then, they told us they didn’t want more burdens — they wanted help and support to continue feeding us. Today we heard their call and said no to more rules on farmers. I now appeal for the government to implement this Directive wisely, in a way that the burden is carried by the government and not by farmers, who already face a very difficult life competing with foreign products and ever-increasing costs,” concluded Dr Agius.