Danish Agriculture Sector Accuses Parliament of Repeatedly Violating Green Tripartite Deal

Denmark's agriculture sector says it has had enough of Parliament's handling of the green tripartite agreement. Landbrug & Fødevarer is holding a crisis meeting on Monday and has launched a sharp criticism of Christiansborg, the seat of Parliament.

The immediate dispute concerns the fertilization bill, which is due to pass through Parliament on Thursday. The legislation would require farmers to reduce nitrogen emissions from fertilizer into marine waters, putting the political agreement under strain.

Farmers argue that the rules would make production unnecessarily expensive and push up food prices. Landbrug & Fødevarer chairman Søren Søndergaard said Parliament had abandoned the balance to which the agricultural sector had agreed.

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The consequences of the current political course are catastrophic.

"It is you who are no longer honoring the agreement and the balances that we gave our word to at the time," Søndergaard told Parliament. He also described the consequences of the current political course as catastrophic.

The parties that negotiated the agreement reject that interpretation. Venstre leader Troels Lund Poulsen has defended his party's decision to support the bill, saying it is necessary to implement the green tripartite deal. Four Venstre members plan to vote against the bill despite the party line. Nature Minister Christian Rabjerg Madsen has also said the government will not change course.

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It is you who are no longer honoring the agreement and the balances that we gave our word to at the time.