The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety is the largest committee in the European Parliament with 81 Members in this legislative period, post Brexit. I am pleased to be able to advocate for rural areas on European level in the field of environmental policy. I am convinced that the environment and agriculture belong together. Whether it is the "French fries regulation", food safety, climate policy or biodiversity and plant protection - these are all issues that are dealt with in this committee.

Click here for further information about the environmental committee.

As the youngest Member of the European People's Party, I would like to highlight fields that refer to the youth. Until 2017, 90,000 young people benefited from Erasmus in my home country Austria, and I myself had the chance to gain new experiences during an internship abroad. In the future, more young people, whether they are students, apprentices or farmers, should have the chance to get to know new countries.

Click here for further information about the Committee on Education and Culture.

Every citizen of the European Union has the right to submit, individually or with others, a petition to the European Parliament in matters, that the European Union is responsible for. The Committee on Petitions deals directly with citizens' concerns. Many petitions come from the environmental and agricultural sectors. Whether it is about animal rights in the EU or the mandatory labelling of food.

Click here for further information about the Committee on Petitions.

705 MEPs work in the European Parliament: As the youngest member of the European People's Party, I am the voice for young people in Austria and in Europe. If the EU is to shape a policy for tomorrow, it needs people who live in that future.

The approximately 160,000 family-run farms work to the fullest and think in terms of generations. The Common Agricultural Policy must ensure a comprehensive and multifunctional agriculture for the future. As the farmers' representative in the European Parliament, I am dedicated to oppose cuts in the agricultural budget.

Three times a day the farmers set the table for us. High quality food cannot be taken for granted and deserves our appreciation. In the interests of consumers and farmers, a simple and fair labelling of origin is needed.

We need a Europe with common sense and a sense of proportion! Our Europe must address the big issues and act in a less centralized manner. If a topic can be better solved in small units, it should be dealt there. Strong municipalities and regions are the basis for a strong Europe.

The development of our villages and communities is a major concern of mine. The EU regional programs help to further strengthen the regions. An intact infrastructure requires medical care, educational and working facilities, clean water and renewable energy sources.

From Smart Home to Smart Farming - digitalization implies many new technical achievements. Here we need equal opportunities in the urban area and in the countryside, for the mobile network as well as for the broadband expansion.

Im Austrian Green Deal wird eine Vielzahl an Themen angesprochen, um den Ausbau von Photovoltaik, die Steigerung der Biodiversität in Städten oder faire Produktionsbedingungen für unsere Landwirte zu verwirklichen. Wir brauchen maßgeschneiderte Lösungen, weil Österreich in vielen Bereichen, wie zB. bei Strom aus Erneuerbaren Energien bereits zu den Vorreitern in Europa gehört. Bei anderen Themen aber, wie beim Flächenverbrauch, europaweit zu den Schlusslichtern zählt.

Hier kannst Du den gesamten Austrian Green Deal ansehen