Essential Insights from the Latest Agriculture MEPs in the European Parliament
The lineup for the newly organized European Parliament Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) was confirmed on July 19, showcasing a composition that promises increased political activity in the upcoming term.
The committee will consist of 49 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), an increase from 48 in the previous term. It will be led by a chair from the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), which is now the fourth-largest group in the European Parliament.
The inaugural meeting is scheduled for July 23, during which the chair and vice-chairs will be elected. Reports suggest that Czech MEP Veronika Vrecionová is expected to be appointed as chair; she previously served as the group’s coordinator in AGRI during the last term and has significant experience in agricultural policy, including being the rapporteur for the EU’s new regulations on gene-edited crops.
Italy will have the most extensive representation on the committee, with nine full members and six substitutes. Notably, both the European People’s Party (EPP) and the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) have selected Italian members as AGRI coordinators: Herbert Dorfmann and Dario Nardella, respectively. Nardella, a former mayor of Florence and new MEP, competed for the socialist leadership in AGRI against Germany’s Maria Noichl.
Dorfmann, a seasoned agronomist and member of the Italian South Tyrolean People’s Party, has been part of the European Parliament since 2009 and was the coordinator for the EPP during the last term. Salvatore de Meo, another EPP member, will also continue as a full member, while Carlo Fidanza is likely to become the ECR’s coordinator.
The political significance of AGRI has risen following farmers’ protests, attracting notable MEPs with limited agricultural backgrounds. Valérie Hayer, the leader of the liberal Renew Europe group, is set to join AGRI as a full member. As she pledged during earlier protests, agriculture will remain a key focus for her in the European Parliament.
Additionally, Iratxe Garcia Perez, the leader of the S&D group, will serve as a substitute member, while Hungary’s Péter Magyar, a rival of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, joins as part of the EPP. The far-right Spanish YouTuber Luis “Alvise” Pérez will also sit on the AGRI committee, drawing attention for his controversial statements during recent farmers’ protests in Spain.
AGRI will include several MEPs with farming backgrounds, with at least 12 full members and two substitutes who are either current or former farmers. Notably, the EPP’s Céline Imart, a cereal grower, and Dutch MEP Jessica van Leeuwen, who specializes in pig and dairy farming, are among them. The newly formed far-right group, Patriots for Europe (PfE), includes French sheep breeder Valérie Deloge and Hungarian farmer Balázs Győrffy.
Renew Europe’s Valérie Hayer, while not a farmer herself, identifies closely with agricultural roots, being related to farmers. Party member Elsi Katainen, a trained agronomist with a dairy farm in Finland, is expected to serve as coordinator for the liberal group.
The Greens have made a deliberate choice to include members with agricultural expertise, presenting three full members with farming backgrounds, including Austrian MEP Thomas Waitz, who will act as the coordinator for AGRI, and German MEPs Martin Häusling and Cristina Guarda, both organic farmers.
With these developments, the new AGRI committee is poised to address significant agricultural challenges on the European agenda.
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John Peterson graduated with a degree in Agricultural Sciences from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. His specialization is in sustainable crop production and soil health management. John is passionate about integrating modern technology with traditional farming methods to enhance productivity while preserving the environment. He currently works as a consultant, helping farmers adopt sustainable practices.