Totschnig stunned:

“Gewessler puts ideology above the law”

(Bild: krone.tv )

In the krone.tv interview with Gerhard Koller, Agriculture Minister Norbert Totschnig stands by his criticism of Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler and her approval of the EU renaturation law.

"She should have reached an agreement with me before giving her consent. She didn't do that. It is quite extraordinary when a minister from a party that always and everywhere emphasizes the rule of law now goes and puts ideology above the law. I would never have expected her to actually do this and I am still stunned that this is possible. This is a major breach of trust and of the law," said the Minister of Agriculture.

The fundamental aim of the renaturation law, such as unsealing the soil or restoring wet moors, was correct, but Gewessler's approach was the wrong way to go. Totschnig: "For us in agriculture, forestry and water management, an intact natural environment is extremely important. And we live by that. For example, in the area of reforestation: we planted 25 million trees in 2021 alone. 27 percent of our land is managed organically. And we are thinning because the forest is on the move. No other country can do that." Totschnig prefers a policy of incentives to motivate people. And not a policy of bans and regulations.

Renaturalizing the size of Styria
There are numerous, sometimes conflicting, interests related to land and soil. Totschnig: "The big challenge is to reconcile the many different uses of land, forestry and water management. This also includes security of supply, as we want to produce food. Also the extraction of wood from the forest for timber construction. Or water for the production of energy." However, the renaturation law would also impose new bureaucratic requirements. And many tasks of land restoration, where 20 percent of the land area is involved: "If you convert that to Austria, then it means restoring the size of Styria. This begs the question: who will pay for it? It is not clear who will pay for it."

Agriculture Minister Norbert Totschnig in an interview with krone.tv.(Bild: krone.tv )

Young farmers
The mood among local farmers is much better than expected. Totschnig explains this with data from a recent survey: "75 percent of all farmers are neutral to very positive about the future. That is a very pleasing figure. In addition, Austria has the youngest agricultural sector of all EU member states. We have the highest proportion of "under 40-year-olds".

Watch the entire interview in the video above!