News

On 28/07/2021 the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) issued a report on meeting the EU's green goals through the CAP. The report presents model scenarios for the implementation of the CAP reform proposal to measure the impact of strengthening green ambitions on EU agriculture. The scenario also includes the fulfilment of four quantitative targets under the Farm to Fork strategy and the EU biodiversity strategy, which, according to the JRC, have the greatest potential to affect the agricultural environment and production in the EU. These include reducing the use of pesticides and the risks associated with the use of pesticides, reducing the leakage of nutrients and fertilizers used in the EU, expanding the area of organic farming, and expanding the area of non-productive elements in the EU. The impacts were modelled according to three scenarios - maintaining the status quo, meeting the new objectives without additional financial support from the European recovery plan Next Generation EU, and meeting the new objectives with additional support from the Next Generation EU. If Member States were to make full use of the potential of the new national strategic plans for the CAP, they could, according to the JRC, reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture by 20 to 30%. According to the results, the goals of both strategies are realistic; their inclusion in the national strategic plans can, according to the JRC, lead to the fulfilment of very ambitious European green goals.
More information is available here.

On 04/08/2021, the European Commission approved a measure that should allow farmers to receive higher advances on CAP payments. The Commission has taken this decision in the light of the ongoing coronavirus crisis and the adverse weather conditions in some EU regions. The measure will allow Member States to make direct payments to farmers as well as certain payments from rural development programs with a higher level of advances, from 50% to 70% for direct payments and from 75% to 85% for rural development. The measure can be used from 16/10/2021.
More information is available here.

On 30/06/2021, the European Commission confirmed its interest in introducing a ban on cage farming after 2027. It thus supported the call of the 'End the Cage Age' European citizens' initiative, in which over 1.3 million European citizens called for a ban on cage farming. At the beginning of 2022 (first quarter), the Commission's public consultation on a ban on cage farming will be launched. As part of the Farm to Fork strategy, the Commission has already committed itself to proposing a revision of animal welfare legislation, including transport and breeding legislation, which is currently undergoing a fitness check. This evaluation is to be completed by the summer of 2022, and in 2023 the revision of the legislation itself will be presented. By the end of 2022, the European Commission will carry out an impact assessment for the introduction of a ban on cages, and in 2023 a legislative proposal for a ban on cages should be presented. The proposal could introduce a ban on cage farming after 2027 for laying hens, sows, calves, rabbits, chickens, breeding poultry, broilers, quails, ducks, and geese. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is already working on animal-specific assessments to allow a smooth transition from cage systems. EFSA opinions should be finalized in the first quarter of 2023. In this context, EFSA launched a consultation on pig welfare on 27/07/2021, the consultation is open until 28/09/2021.
The consultation is available here.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) launched a new education campaign last week to help consumers make informed food choices. The aim of the campaign is to teach Union citizens to think critically in their daily food choices. The campaign targets consumers aged 25-45, mostly women and young parents.
More information is available here.

German research has shown that basic and advanced eco-labelling (including Eco-Score labelling) can have a positive effect on consumer choices when choosing sustainable foods. Consumers were divided into three groups (control group, basic eco-label group and extended information group) and choose between different brands of milk, apple juice and eggs. The group with extended ecological assessment selected 17% more of the best rated sustainable foods compared to the control group, the group with only basic information selected even 26% more.
More information is available here.