An agreement on a CO2 tax on agriculture, reached Monday night between the government and several industry organizations, hangs in the balance if political parties insist on further negotiations. This is according to Foreign Minister and leader of the moderate party Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who urges that the agreement be accepted without major changes. However, SF (Socialist People’s Party) and De Radikale (The Radical Left) have stated that they expect to engage in real negotiations on the agreement. Political spokesperson Signe Munk (SF) stated that there are “a lot of loose ends” in the many initiatives, and she wishes to strengthen the green elements of the agreement to ensure that the climate and water environment are actually improved.
Lars Løkke Rasmussen emphasizes the importance of understanding the delicate balance of the agreement reached between interest organizations like Landbrug & Fødevarer (Agriculture & Food) and Danmarks Naturfredningsforening (The Danish Society for Nature Conservation). He highlights that renewed negotiations may risk breaking this balance. “This is a both and,” says Løkke, urging the Parliament to carefully read through the agreement.
Martin Lidegaard, leader of De Radikale, acknowledges that potential negotiations will be challenging and will not take place until after the summer holidays. The agreement is not yet politically binding and still needs to be approved by the Parliament to come into effect.