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At the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 26/05/2021, EU Member States backed a European Commission study on how the EU could update existing legislation on plant reproductive material (PRM) and its marketing. Member States have recognized the need to modernize PRM legislation to respond to current challenges, including addressing climate change, food security and biodiversity protection, in line with the Farm to Fork strategy and the European Green Deal. However, forest reproductive material (FRM) should be dealt with separately.
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On 26/05/2021, the Council of Agriculture Ministers discussed the status of new genomic techniques, in particular the Commission's proposals to amend existing legislation on genetically modified organisms. Food and Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakides assured ministers that any change to the EU's approval rules for the use of new genomic techniques in plant breeding would protect human and animal health and maintain the precautionary principle.
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The Presidents and Prime Ministers of the EU Member States will meet on the European Council meeting on 24-25/05/2021. The leaders will discuss, among other things, climate issues, in particular the European Climate Law, the wording of which has been agreed by the European institutions in recent weeks. The EU Climate Law confirms the legal binding nature of the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030. Following the agreement of the European institutions, the Commission will prepare appropriate legislative proposals, so the Prime Ministers will discuss their own set of recommendations for the European Commission and its work on legislative proposals. COVID-19, strategic relations with Russia, and relations with the UK will also be discussed.
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The meeting of the Council of EU agriculture ministers will take place on 26-27 / 05/2021 in Brussels. The Council will discuss a package of measures of the CAP reform, ministers will hear information from the Commission on a study on the EU's ability to update existing legislation on the production and marketing of plant reproductive material, and on study on the status of new genomic techniques. At the same time, they will endorse the EU's priorities at the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit and discuss an action plan for organic farming. The Commission will brief ministers on the state of play of EU-UK bilateral consultations on fishing opportunities for 2021 and on the state of play in WTO negotiations on fisheries support. The council will also discuss the Farm to Fork strategy. Finally, the EL delegation will inform on behalf of IT and FR about the need to support the agricultural sectors affected by the recent frosts. The Council will meet in parallel with the "jumbo" trilogue of the European institutions on the CAP, and the parallel Council and trilogue should help ensure a faster agreement on all three parts of the CAP reform package. The trilogue will take place on 25-27/05/2021.
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Last week, environmental activist Greta Thunberg talked with the Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal Frans Timmermans about the CAP reform. Greta Thunberg called on Timmermans to withdraw the proposals, which she said were still not in line with the requirements to strengthen ambitions in climate and environmental protection, and which did not have sufficient public support. Timmermans did not support the withdrawal of CAP proposals, although according to him they are far from ideal, but he does not have support for their withdrawal. Thunberg said she did not envisage the Timmermans withdrawing the proposals. Thunberg said she did not envisage the Timmermans withdrawing the proposals. According to Thunberg, the change will have to take place by changing the behaviour and requirements of society, it cannot depend on politicians who are influenced by lobbyists.
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