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The informal Council of Ministers for Agriculture and Fisheries will take place on 14-15/06/2021 in Lisbon. Ministers will exchange views on food systems, innovation, and natural resource management in the context of the post-2020 CAP and the future of the Common Fisheries Policy. The informal ministerial meeting will be preceded by an informal meeting of the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA) on 14/06/2021, which will have a single item on the agenda: the post-2020 CAP reform package.

On 08/06/2021, the European Council of Young Farmers (CEJA) published a document on the resilience and sustainability of the agri-food chain. In the document, CEJA called for simplification of risk management tools and supply chain support within the CAP to strengthen the position of farmers in the agri-food supply chain. The CEJA proposal should also lead to more effective crisis forecasting through better matching of supply to demand.
More information is available here.

On 08/06/2021, the European Commission presented a draft EU budget for 2022 totalling €167.8 billion. In addition, the EU budget should be complemented by around €143.5 billion from the EU's Next Generation Fund. The budget for the CAP is set at €53 billion in 2022, complemented by an additional €5.7 billion from the EU's Next Generation Fund and €550 million for the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. In total, therefore, the agricultural sector could manage almost €60 billion. At least 30% of the total EU budget should be set aside to combat climate change. The new CAP rules will probably not enter into force until 2023, so most of the current rules will remain in force for a transitional period, i.e., in 2022. For 2022, the Commission proposes to strengthen the market intervention budget by €43 million to a total of €2.66 billion (compared to 2021). However, the Commission does not plan to allow private storage schemes or any additional market measures for 2022. According to the Commission’s proposal, the budget for direct payments should be reduced by €55.4 million in 2022 compared to 2021 to a final €37.8 billion, the first pillar should reach a total of €40.8 billion (by €137 million less than in 2021). For the budget for the second pillar - Rural Development Programs - the Commission proposes to allocate a total of €18.4 billion, including €5.7 billion in EU Next Generation support. The crisis reserve for 2022 should amount to €497.3 million.
More information is available here and here.

During the plenary session of 08/06/2021, the European Parliament adopted an opinion on a European biodiversity strategy. Parliament called for new EU biodiversity legislation, which should ensure adequate protection of European ecosystems by 2050. Parliament also opposes the re-authorization of the active substance glyphosate after 31/12/2022, and therefore calls on all Member States to carry out the relevant preparatory work to provide all farmers with viable alternatives following the ban on glyphosate. Parliament proposes to introduce some of the objectives that the European Commission has included in the EU's biodiversity strategy on the principle of obligation. These include targets for the protection of at least 30% of the EU's marine and terrestrial areas, and the strict protection of at least 10% of the EU's marine and terrestrial areas, including all remaining native forests and rainforests and other carbon-rich ecosystems. According to Parliament, these targets should be binding and implemented by the Member States at national level. Legally binding targets for the protection of forests and forest ecosystems should also be set, which should also be reflected in the forthcoming EU Forest Strategy (likely to be presented in July 2021). The opinion was adopted with 515 votes in favour, 90 against and 86 abstentions.
More information is available here.

On 10/06/2021, the European Parliament voted in plenary on a non-binding opinion on the European Citizens' Initiative "End the cage age". Although the European Parliament's opinion is not in itself a legislative act and does not impose any direct obligations on farmers, the opinion will be an important document for the forthcoming debate on strengthening animal welfare in the context of the objectives and initiatives of the European Green Deal. Parliament supported a ban on cage farming for all caged animals after 2027, as well as the introduction of rules to strengthen the welfare of rabbits kept in caged. However, Parliament emphasizes that the phasing out of cages must be backed by a scientific basis and an impact assessment, that farmers should be given sufficient support to move to cage-free systems, and that the ban on cages should be reflected in EU trade agreements with third countries. The European Commission should present its opinion on cage farming on 30/06/2021. Parliament's opinion was adopted by 558 votes in favour, 37 against and 85 abstentions.
More information is available here and here.