Schwerin (dpa/mv) – The environmental protection organization WWF welcomes the planned fee for water abstraction for agricultural purposes in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. “That is only logical, because the previous exemption means that agriculture is unjustifiably better off than other water users and is de facto subsidized,” said WWF water protection expert Tobias Schäfer on Friday. According to the plans of Agriculture Minister Till Backhaus (SPD), anyone who uses groundwater to irrigate their fields will be asked to pay for it in the future.
According to a report by the broadcaster NDR, a draft bill to change the state water law is currently being voted on internally by the ministry. The state parliament is to vote on this during this legislative period.
Meanwhile, the WWF emphasizes that without a corresponding fee, farmers would lack the economic incentive to irrigate efficiently. “Now what is needed is a constructive discussion on how water-friendly agriculture can be promoted that does justice to the polluter-pays principle,” says Schäfer.
The FDP parliamentary group criticizes the fact that the Ministry of Agriculture has not involved the farmers earlier: “One thing is a fact, Minister of Agriculture Backhaus should urgently get away from making decisions about people’s heads. Nothing should be decided without involving the associations, that’s what our practitioners intend to do location,” said agricultural policy spokeswoman Sandy von Baal. The parliamentary group has requested advice from the Agriculture Committee so that the ministry can present its plans.
