Jessika van Leeuwen
Member of the European Parliament · ECR · NL
“Madam President, Commissioner Šefčovič, finally, we have a trade deal in front of us that does not jeopardise the position of European farmers or our European food security.”
“Mr President, Commissioner Várhelyi, colleagues, who wants firefighters that require you to fill out ten different forms before they save your burning house? The COVID-19 pandemic showed us that Brussels is not the place for a quick response to an urgent crisis.”
“But what has the Commission done? It concluded a trade deal with Mercosur, allowing tonnes and tonnes of meat with potentially resistant bacteria to enter our food chain. As an animal scientist, I can tell you this is a train wreck waiting to happen.”
“Mr President, dear colleagues, Commissioner Hansen, today we will be voting on our livestock report, a report I have worked on as a shadow rapporteur. So I would like to thank Mr Fidanza for the great report, and the fellow shadows for the collaboration. Our report is an important signal to our farmers.”
“We need a better harmonisation on the prevention of animal diseases. We should decrease our dependency on fertilisers, using manure. And we want fair trade deals for our farmers. So I strongly recommend you, Commissioner Hansen, to listen to these points and to take action now. I say let's re-farm Europe. 4-0034-0000”
“Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, this Thursday, farmers associations have announced a massive protest in the streets of Brussels. Thousands of farmers will protest against the new plans for CAP after 2027. And they have all the reasons to be concerned.”
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Every one of 39 lines we hold for Jessika van Leeuwen, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account.
“The Farmer‑Citizens Movement of the Netherlands welcomes this deal as a necessary diversification in a conflicted world where the EU cannot afford to bet on a single horse. 2-0248-0000”
“Madam President, Commissioner Šefčovič, finally, we have a trade deal in front of us that does not jeopardise the position of European farmers or our European food security. The trade deal with Mexico offers ample opportunities for farmers and the EU industry: lower tariffs on agricultural products to Mexico, protection of geographical indications and easier access to Mexican products. Nevertheless, I do have one concern because we cannot import what we cannot produce, meaning Mexico needs to comply with all EU standards if they want to export to the European Union. As the use of antibiotics as growth promoters through veterinary prescription in feed is still common practice in Mexico, I urge the Commission to implement sufficient audits on the ground to make sure there is compliance with our standards.”
“But what has the Commission done? It concluded a trade deal with Mercosur, allowing tonnes and tonnes of meat with potentially resistant bacteria to enter our food chain. As an animal scientist, I can tell you this is a train wreck waiting to happen. So, dear Commissioner, we need to step up our efforts to develop new antibiotics before it is too late. So let us make sure that the critical medicines act delivers on this as well. 1-0195-0000”
“Mr President, Commissioner Várhelyi, colleagues, who wants firefighters that require you to fill out ten different forms before they save your burning house? The COVID-19 pandemic showed us that Brussels is not the place for a quick response to an urgent crisis. On the contrary, the interventions from the Commission during COVID-19 led to more complexity and less transparency according to the European Court of Auditors. The World Health Organization has repeatedly stated that there is a global health crisis that is systematically overlooked – that is antimicrobial resistance. They predict it to be the number one cause of death by 2050. Yet, the development of new and better antibiotics remains critically underfunded. To combat antimicrobial resistance, European farmers and doctors limited the usage of antibiotics, so resistance declines.”
“We need a better harmonisation on the prevention of animal diseases. We should decrease our dependency on fertilisers, using manure. And we want fair trade deals for our farmers. So I strongly recommend you, Commissioner Hansen, to listen to these points and to take action now. I say let's re-farm Europe. 4-0034-0000”
“Mr President, dear colleagues, Commissioner Hansen, today we will be voting on our livestock report, a report I have worked on as a shadow rapporteur. So I would like to thank Mr Fidanza for the great report, and the fellow shadows for the collaboration. Our report is an important signal to our farmers. The key message is that we should start to trust in the innovative power of the livestock industry – more innovation, less extensification. So we urge the Commissioner to stimulate EU-driven innovation to meet our targets, as we acknowledge that animal products are a fundamental source of protein. We want to have targeted support in the CAP for all livestock producers. We see the importance of livestock-dense areas for the bioeconomy. We call for better possibilities to address large carnivores.”
“That is why the Commission should examine the creation of a European animal health fund – a fast, fair instrument to respond to this type of crisis. Only if we act together can we reform Europe. 1-0205-0000 PREȘEDINȚIA: NICOLAE ȘTEFĂNUȚĂ Vicepreședinte 1-0206-0000”
“Early detection and stronger coordination between Member States and cooperation with neighbouring regions is essential to contain the spread. At the same time, we must ensure that disease outbreaks in one region do not trigger disproportionate trade barriers for the rest of the EU. Farmers need stability and predictability, not sudden export restrictions or internal market disruptions that add to the crisis. They have already too much on their plate. We need a systematic EU assessment of contamination pathways. Long‑term resilience requires sustained investment in monitoring systems, vaccine development and effective treatments, while we also must ensure that our health measures remain compatible with trade rules. When outbreaks occur, farmers need help immediately.”
“What farmers are complaining about, Commissioner, is not the fact that the disease re-emerged, as this is difficult to control, but the fact that EU support is insufficient and too slow. This disease does not threaten human health, but it threatens the livelihood of cattle farmers across Europe. What this crisis shows, above all, is that Europe cannot afford to act only once the damage is done. So, Commissioner, we need a preventive approach with early vaccination strategies and EU co‑financing so farmers are not forced to carry the cost of protecting Europe's entire livestock sector by themselves. And prevention only works when countries act together. Insects do not stop at borders and neither does this virus.”
“Madam President, Commissioner, thank you for being here with us tonight on a Monday evening – it shows your engagement. But the recent outbreaks of lumpy skin disease in Europe caused enormous distress among European farmers, especially in France, Italy and Spain, not to mention the discomfort in all the animals affected by the disease. In France alone, over 3 000 animals were lost. But it also pointed towards a weak point in our animal disease control, especially for diseases that are transmitted not only through animal contact but by vectors like wild animals and insects, as is the case for avian influenza, bluetongue and also ASF. It causes direct economic losses to the farmers and affects international trade negatively.”
“Cutting red tape and lowering administrative costs so farmers can focus on producing food. Fewer controls. Let's work from trust and bring less stress. Exempting farms under 30 hectares from GAEC 7 crop rotation and diversification. A new 75 000 rural-development payment going well beyond the Commission's proposal. But simplification must remain practical and not create new uncertainty. This agreement is not the end point, but the start. The next CAP should be built on trust, realism and simplicity with farmers at the centre and should dedicate sufficient funds to show food security is our strategic priority. So to all the farmers that will protest this week and all the ones supporting them from home, be assured that there are some people here in Parliament that will not rest until we have a better deal for European farmers.”
“Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, this Thursday, farmers associations have announced a massive protest in the streets of Brussels. Thousands of farmers will protest against the new plans for CAP after 2027. And they have all the reasons to be concerned. But today we discussed the outcome of the negotiations on the simplification of the current CAP, and I think it is important to bring a positive message to all the concerned farmers. Your vote matters. Thanks to your vote, we are here as the Farmer Citizens movement, right in the centre of decision-making. We have taken the current CAP and made it better and easier than the way it is right now. And the same thing we will do with the new CAP post-2027 proposal. We will fight to make it better for European farmers, what we achieved now is a step in the right direction.”
“Ya somos, como Unión Europea, el principal socio comercial de América Latina con un intercambio anual de casi 4 000 millones de euros sin reducir los aranceles. Yo digo que tenemos que apostar por una estrategia realista, con condiciones comerciales justas, igualdad de medios de producción y un enfoque común frente al crimen organizado y el narcotráfico. Solo si tomamos en serio nuestros propios intereses, podemos ser un socio creíble para un futuro próspero para ambos continentes. ¡Viva la libertad, carajo! 2-0542-0000”
“Señora presidenta, señora comisaria, la cooperación con América Latina es de gran importancia estratégica para la Unión Europea, especialmente en estos tiempos de incertidumbre geopolítica. Pero una colaboración sólida comienza por proteger nuestros propios intereses. El Pacto Verde, y como consecuencia la desindustrialización en Europa, demuestra, precisamente, lo que no hay que hacer: descuidar la competitividad y el poder de producir. El comercio es sumamente importante para fortalecer el vínculo con América Latina, pero no a todo costo. Reducir aranceles para productos que no se producen en condiciones comparables, como los productos agrícolas, es descuidar nuestros propios intereses.”
“So I am asking you, Commissioner, to have a careful look again at your proposal and make the changes to create certainty and financial stability, so young farmers like Jonne can have a future. 2-0318-0000”
“We need you, Commissioner, to step forward. The new CAP proposal is too low and creates an unequal playing field within the European Union. It was you who said, this morning, 'you cannot build a continent on an empty stomach', Commissioner. But you are allocating the CAP budget in a way that punishes productivity. The Netherlands is in the top five of the highest‑producing EU countries, but ranks 16 when it comes to the amount of CAP money it receives. If you really believe that food security is important, then why are you not stimulating this productivity? Because if Dutch agriculture does not survive, we will all lose, because it will be a big step backwards in terms of access to innovative solutions for all European farmers. And ultimately, consumers pay the price.”
“Mr President, dear Commissioner, last week I was milking dairy cows together with a young girl named Jonne. She told me: 'I just have one dream, and that is to take over my parents' farm.' We, the young farmers, are the food producers of tomorrow, and young farmers need to know that they can take over a farm, that they can start a family and raise a new generation of farmers. They need security and protection. Are you aware, Commissioner, that there is a judge ruling in the Netherlands that forces the publication of addresses of all animal farms? Farmers do not feel safe anymore as activists can be on their doorstep any time, without punishment. Tomorrow, we will vote on the simplification of the CAP and about strengthening the position of farmers, and this is a huge step forward. But it is not enough.”
“Losing a separate CAP budget threatens the survival of thousands of European family farms and puts European food sovereignty at risk. So, Commissioner, you are our only hope. Don't let this happen. CAP is the very heart of the European Union. So let's reform Europe together. 4-0063-0000”
“Madam President, Commissioner, the current form of the common agricultural policy was started by Sicco Mansholt, a Dutch visionary that reformed agriculture in Europe. And now we are at a crossroad for agriculture in Europe again. On Monday evening, with the vote in the AGRI Committee, we sent a very strong signal to you, Commissioner. A clear signal for an independent, separate agricultural policy and the responsibility of the AGRI Committee for simplification and reduction of bureaucracy, for strengthening agriculture as a strategic sector, for food security, for empowering farmers within the supply chain, for ensuring future for our young farmers – because those were the reasons that farmers took to the streets and we have taken their concerns very seriously. We listened to them, we stood up for them. But this is all now at stake.”
“Mr President, Commissioner, Minister, a deal can only be reached when the counterpart accepts your term. So we need conversation, not confrontation. And behind the deal there are companies, there are workers, there are families depending on it. Those are our priorities, so we support you very much, Commissioner, in finding a very balanced deal. But we do have a red line and that is an equal playing field for our farmers. That is non-negotiable. This means no chlorine-washed chicken, because that only compensates for poor hygiene – while our farmers need to comply with the strictest hygiene and quality rules – and no meat from animals raised with growth hormones and antibiotic growth promoters. And on countermeasures, let us be very cautious: American tariffs burden Americans, but European countermeasures will hit European jobs.”
“Do we want imported food from countries with lower standards? Or do we want affordable, high-quality food from our own soil? The time to decide is now. I say: let's refarm Europe! 3-0345-0000”
“Madam President, while consumers are paying more than ever for their food, our Dutch and European farmers are being squeezed out of business. Let's be clear: the root cause is not a lack of regulation, but too much of it, combined with sky-high energy prices, and quality and compliance standards that exceed what is actually necessary for safe and sustainable food production. Lower energy costs – not only for households but also for businesses – are a basic necessity, not a luxury. And while Brussels, with the Green Deal, keeps pushing for more extensification, what we really need is sustainable intensification – smarter, more efficient, more productive farming. Extensification only drives up prices and drives farmers out of business. Moreover, it threatens European food security and sovereignty. Europe must choose.”
“Het is nu niet het moment om af te schalen of te extensiveren, maar juist om vol in te zetten op innovatie, om efficiënte voedselproductie hand in hand te laten gaan met de klimaatdoelstellingen en wensen op het gebied van dierenwelzijn. Een specifieke aandacht voor het stimuleren van jonge boeren om het voor hen gemakkelijker te maken een bedrijf over te nemen of juist voort te zetten, draagt bij aan de continuïteit van onze voedselproductie. Het is heel goed dat u alternatieve gewasbeschermingsmiddelen sneller wilt toelaten, maar wij roepen u ook op om kritisch te kijken naar recent verboden middelen en sommige van deze verboden terug te draaien … (De Voorzitter ontneemt de spreker het woord) 4-0063-0000”
“Voorzitter, commissaris, dit is een meer op maat gemaakte en realistische benadering van de Europese landbouw. Maar het is nog veel meer dan dat. In deze geopolitiek onzekere tijden is voedselzekerheid de belangrijkste stabiele factor om een Europese eenheid te garanderen. Voedseltekorten staan immers met regelmaat aan de wieg van hoogoplopende spanningen. Ik verwelkom het afscheid van de one size fits all approach en verwacht dan ook maatwerk voor de nitraatrichtlijn. Want juist nu moeten we maatregelen aanpassen aan de specifieke omstandigheden van onze lidstaten, zodat onze boeren die voedselzekerheid kunnen waarborgen.”
“Women's rights concern all of us and I'm very thankful for this debate. As we heard, the Commission has charted a path forward with its Roadmap for Women's Rights and will be tabling new strategic documents on different aspects of equality in due course. We are looking forward to these new initiatives while Member States implement the legislation that has recently been adopted. I can also inform you that the Polish Presidency will be hosting the informal meeting of equality ministers in April. Let us move forward together and make equality a reality for all women and men, boys and girls. 2-0239-0000”
“Please think twice how much we need to commit to women's health and try to connect with the reality of transposing these rights. Our action starts from committing to principles and values. Our common action is the one that can deliver the rights and protections that women need. And I would say this roadmap is important in 2025. And I invite you to join to support it, to sign it, to implement it and to work together. We need to be together in this fight every day, every year, no matter where our position is in Commission, in Parliament, in national politics or any other place. Thank you and I'm looking forward to working with you on these topics. 2-0238-0000 Adam Szłapka, President-in-Office of the Council. – Mr President, Commissioners, honourable Members, yes, women's rights are human rights.”
“I was born in 1980, in Romania, from 1966 until the communist regime was overthrown, overthrown, abortion rights were prohibited. Thousands of women died because of illegal interruptions of the pregnancies. Many remain traumatised physically and mentally. Many children were abandoned in state facilities that were absolutely horrendous. When I speak and when I fought with Commissioner Lahbib and the Commission to have a reaffirmation of a clear principle stating that women should have access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, I do not speak from the books. I speak from reality. I come from a family where stories of women dying and suffering were told at coffee every morning, every neighbour, every aunt, it was normality.”
“And we have such an important package of EU legislation that has been recently adopted, the directives that need to be transposed and implemented, and we will come with a gender equality strategy for 2026-2030, the next generation with new measures, new actions, and we need to think about how we mainstream the gender dimension in our funding policies, in the MFF, in every policy. And I would give just my own example because I recently adopted my first initiative, the Union of Skills, where it's not just about a general discussion, but for example, in STEM education I committed and I invite all to train 1 million girls and women in STEM education by 2028. And many said it's too much. What are you talking about? It's that kind of ambition. In the end, I would address the elephant in the room. I come from Romania.”
“And this roadmap ‑ and I am also a woman of action and not necessarily just of words ‑ is an invitation in these somewhat disruptive times, where we see some pullback. It's an invitation to all of us, to you Members of the European Parliament, to Member States in the Council, to all the stakeholders, social partners, all that are watching us, all that have seen this roadmap, to reaffirm, to recommit to all values for nothing can be taken for granted. And yes, once we reaffirm and recommit - action.”
“It's time we take our rightful place in the society just because we can and not because a gender quota assigns us a spot. 2-0236-0000 (End of catch-the-eye procedure) 2-0237-0000 Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President of the Commission. – Mr President, thank you for a very meaningful conversation. Women's rights are human rights and fighting for women's rights means being a democrat and then a feminist, and however we may call it. We fight for our democracies when we fight for the rights of women in employment, in health, on the job market, in public positions, in research, in what concerns their safety, in their homes, on the streets, online, that I think should unite us.”
“Mr President, women's rights. Our grandmothers and mothers fought for these rights. And today, if we're not careful, we will lose them again. And as a mother of three daughters, I am a strong advocate for gender equality. However, I do believe two things. First of all, without allowing men to actively, actively participate in gender equality, we will never achieve anything. So this feminist hatred against men will not bring us any further, but will polarise society instead. Secondly, we women are part of the problem. As long as we victimise ourselves, we continue to keep the vicious circle of gender inequality intact. It's time to take responsibility for our actions and to refuse to be treated as victims. We are not victims. If we refuse to be, we are not victims.”
“Mr President, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to speak today. I will continue in Dutch. Voorzitter, de positie van BBB is bekend. Wij kunnen dit handelsakkoord met Mercosur niet steunen. Onze bezwaren betreffen het ongelijke speelveld. De EU dwingt onze boeren om aan veel hogere standaarden te voldoen dan wat in Mercosur de norm is. Als dierwetenschapper heb ik jaren in Zuid-Amerika gewerkt; ik weet dat het handhaven van afspraken op het gebied van productiemethoden en dierenwelzijn onmogelijk is. Dit akkoord gaat in tegen de wens van bijna 90 % van de EU-burgers: zij hebben aangegeven dat zij veilig en eerlijk voedsel op hun bord willen. Voor BBB is voedselzekerheid een strategische prioriteit. Wij zijn van mening dat dit handelsakkoord daar onvoldoende rekening mee houdt. 4-0115-0000”
“This starts at day-care centres, kindergartens, elementary schools, where we need to stimulate our children to not only acquire knowledge, but also to build their mental resilience. And we need more trained professionals in these centres that focus on picking up early signals. As with everything, prevention is better than curing. So let's join together at all political levels to make mental resilience in our youth a top priority. 3-0542-0000 Intervenții la cerere 3-0543-0000”
“There is no one-size-fits-all solution to get them out of detention. However, to be able to work for the safe release of our citizens, the European Union and its Member States must keep open diplomatic channels with Iran. 3-0436-0000”
“The recent release of the Italian journalist Cecilia Sala and the German-Iranian activist Nahid Taghavi is welcome news, of course. However, notwithstanding these positive developments, there are still a number of EU citizens arbitrarily detained by Iran. Compared to two years ago, the number of EU citizens detained in Iran has decreased, but this is of course not enough. We want to see the release of all our citizens under arbitrary detention without any delay, and we will not rest until all EU citizens are released. It is worth recalling that our efforts to free European citizens come in support of our Member States, who have the primary consular responsibility and with whom we have strengthened our coordination also in these issues. Also, the specific circumstances for each of the detainees are quite different.”
“Following the killing of Mahsa Amini and the subsequent crackdown of protests, we spoke out very clearly and adopted 10 packages of targeted sanctions and we will, of course, continue to strongly support also the UN mechanisms for accountability, including the independent fact-finding established in the context of the 2022 nationwide protests. At the same time, we continue to use our direct channels with Iran to urge the authorities to pursue a coherent policy towards the abolition of capital punishment and also to respect, of course, the human rights and the fundamental freedoms of the Iranian people. Unfortunately, we also have other issues of concern with the Iran. The European Union strongly rejects Iran's continuing distressing practice of arbitrarily detaining foreign civilians.”
“On the contrary, actually, the space for civil society is shrinking more and more, and the pace of executions also is alarming. Each year sets a new, terrifying record, with more than 900 executions only last year, as we've heard before. In this very critical context, the two female activists Pakhshan Azizi and Wrisha Moradi were recently sentenced to death, and this is really appalling. There are no instances where the use of capital punishment to suppress domestic dissent is justified. It is so crucial to hold the Iranian authorities accountable for human rights abuses and, of course, violations also.”
“I encourage you all to use your voice, to raise international awareness and to open the debate on what we can do, because this is not about us; this is about standing with the people of Iran. Let us use our power to unite and strongly condemn the executions and suppressions by the Iranian authorities, and increase support for Iranian human rights defenders. 3-0435-0000 Magnus Brunner, Member of the Commission. – Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Members of the European Parliament, the EU strongly supports the fundamental aspiration of the people of Iran for a future where the human rights and also fundamental freedoms are respected, are protected and are fulfilled, at the end of the day. The new Iranian Government pledged to shift Iran's policies, but unfortunately, to date, these pledges have not been followed by concrete action.”
“Madam President, the ability to stand here as a woman and speak freely is both a right and a privilege. Pakhshan Azizi, Wrisha Moradi, Behrouz Ehsani, and Mehdi Hassani ‑ four names, but there are many, many more. Those people are not violent criminals. These are brave, courageous people. It is for them that I stand here today. Some ask today, does it matter? Will what we say and do here change anything? Well, when we raise our voices, we send a message not only to those suffering under tyranny, but also to those who impose it. Silence allows oppression to thrive. Speaking out challenges it. If they were brave enough to speak up, we cannot simply stay silent. Because if we do not speak up, the Iranian authorities can continue to silence their voices.”