News

Representatives of the European institutions met at the last technical trialogue on the CAP Strategic Plans on 23/07/2021 to translate at political level the political agreement on the future CAP package into legislation, the final text should be available during the summer holidays. The last political agreement addressed three main issues - the approval of national plans based on legally binding requirements, the eligibility of funding for national schemes under the CAP for climate and the environment, and the clarification of the recital of Article 4 on the definition of active farmer. The agreement was approved by the Council of Ministers on 28/06/2021 but has not yet been approved by the European Parliament - a vote is likely to take place in September or October 2021. The agreement should be followed by delegated and implemented acts by the European Commission. national strategic plans for the CAP by the end of 2021.

During the Council of Ministers on 19/07/2021, the ministers of agriculture discussed the text of the Action plan for organic production in the EU, which was presented by the European Commission on 25/03/2021. The first discussion of ministers on this topic took place in May 2021, but no conclusions were reached. During the July meeting, ministers generally supported the goal of the action plan to expand the area of organic farming - that by 2030 organic farming should cover 25% of the agricultural land in the European Union. However, the ministers supported the voluntary nature of the action plan, meaning that the Action Plan does not set any legally binding targets. Ministers also supported the European Commission's intention to boost demand for organic food through public procurement, supported the stimulation of demand for organic food in general, and supported the development of national plans for organic farming. According to the ministers, the different starting situations of the member states should be considered, and it will also be necessary to avoid increasing the administrative burden. Representatives of NL, SE, EE, FI, HU, FR, BE, and DK supported the strengthening of research and innovation in organic farming; Representatives of PT, EE, CZ, and HU supported strengthening the flexibility of Member States.
More information is available here and here.

During the Council of Ministers on 19/07/2021, agriculture ministers discussed the European Commission's position on the End the Cage Age European Citizens' Initiative. The European Commission issued an opinion on cage farming at the end of June 2021, supporting a ban on cage farming for all caged livestock from 2027. The European Commission should translate legislative proposals to ban cage farming at the end of 2023, at the same time as revising legislation relating to animal welfare. During the Council meeting, agriculture ministers generally supported the goal of ending cage farming but considered the ban from 2027 to be too ambitious. Slovenian Minister of Agriculture Jože Podgoršek, who currently chairs the Council of Agriculture Ministers, said that the basis for the ban on cage farming must be scientific evidence, and that research and investment must be supported. However, in addition to general support for the ban on cage farming, agriculture ministers said that it would be necessary to provide farmers with sufficient financial support, and this aspect should also be part of the forthcoming legislative proposal. The Estonian representative added that the investments necessary to move to cage-free systems could only be returned to farmers after twenty or thirty years, which needs to be reflected. Finland therefore supported the allocation of funds not only from the CAP, but also called for aid to be strengthened in line with the State Aid Guidelines. The Italian representative emphasized the need to protect European producers from cheap imports that do not comply with European rules. The decline in the competitiveness of European farmers vis-à-vis producers from third countries was also emphasized by the ministers as unacceptable.
More information is available here and here.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a draft opinion on dietary sugars on 22/07/2021. EFSA's preliminary conclusions confirm with added certainty the links between the intake of different categories of sugars and the risk of developing chronic metabolic diseases (obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease) and tooth decay. This information is intended to help EU member states set targets or nutritional recommendations for their citizens. The draft opinion includes a Europe-wide income model for estimating dietary sugar consumption by country and a more detailed overview of the main categories of foods that contribute to dietary sugar intake. EFSA has also launched a public consultation on the preliminary conclusions, which will run until 30/09/2021. A discussion on EFSA experts will take place on 21/09/2021.
More information is available here, consultation is available here.

France has confirmed its interest in banning culling of male chicks since 2022. French Agriculture Minister Julien Denormandie said that along with Germany, France would be the first country in the world to ban the practice, often referred to as "barbaric". From 2022, breeders in France will have to be equipped with devices that will determine the sex of their young before they hatch. France will provide farmers with a total subsidy of €10 million to purchase this equipment. Denormandie also confirmed that France would work during its presidency in the first half of 2022 to ensure that the ban was introduced at European level. From the beginning of 2022, the castration of live piglets will also be banned in France. The topic of the ban culling of male chicks was also discussed at the Council of Ministers on 19-20/07/2021; AT, PT, SK, SE, BE, NL, CY, EL, DK, RO, ES, FI, CZ, IE, LV, HR, LU, and IT supported the call for an impact assessment in case of end of this practice and of the review of the Regulation. The Austrian delegation called on the Commission to set maximum stocking densities for turkeys to improve animal welfare standards in line with the Farm to Fork strategy. The FR, DE, SK, BE, CY, NL, EL, LU, DK, PL, LT, CZ, IE, IT and LV delegations supported the Austrian request.
More information is available here and here.