News

Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius presented the Commission's current plans to tackle soil degradation. The Commission is currently preparing a new legal framework for ecosystem restoration aimed at meeting the objectives of the biodiversity strategy, which will include commitments to make significant progress in remediating contaminated soil sites and developing an ambitious green plan for cities. The objectives of the new plan should be legally binding. In the next two weeks, the Commission will also adopt a Zero Pollution Action Plan addressing soil pollution. At the end of 2021, the Commission plans to publish an Analysis of Soil Biodiversity in the EU, which should be its most comprehensive assessment to date.

On 22/04/2021, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) published a study on ‘Mapping and assessment of primary and old-growth forests in Europe', which shows that indigenous forests in Europe are declining. Some European regions even lack detailed mapping of native forests. Proper forest mapping will help protect them, which is important for nature conservation and climate change mitigation. The JRC therefore supported mapping the state of native forests in the EU and strengthening their protection, which would also be in line with the objectives of the EU Biodiversity Strategy.
More information is available here and here.

The new EU Animal Health Act entered into force on 21/04/2021, with the aim of improving the EU's defence against the spread of animal diseases. The animal health sector has now started to focus on vaccination, for example poultry can now be vaccinated against salmonella. Separate regulations on veterinary medicinal products and medicinal feeding stuffs will not enter into force until 2022.

On 23/04/2021, the European Commission adopted new rules for the activities and operational programs of producer organizations in the fruit and vegetables sector with a view to simplifying the CAP and moving from the old to the new CAP rules. Member States will now be able to extend their national strategies for the fruit and vegetable sector to ensure a smooth transition between current and new rules once the new CAP enters into force. New rules include, for example, extending outsourcing opportunities for producer organizations in the fruit and vegetable sector; extending the use of standard flat rates or lump sums to all costs supported under operational programs for the fruit and vegetables sector, with the exception of crisis measures; simplification of the rules for withdrawing fruit and vegetables from the market for free distribution; the introduction of a maximum amount of withdrawal aid for processing; or simplification of rules on crisis prevention and resolution measures (e.g. harvest insurance).
More information is available here here and here.

On 13/04/2021, Chancellor Angela Merkel's Cabinet approved the national strategic plans for the CAP, for a total of three acts - Direct Payments, Cross-compliance, and the Administration and Control System. The first reading within the German Bundestag should take place at the beginning of the coming week, the second and third readings are expected at the beginning of June. The Federal Council (Bundesrat) should discuss the plans in the first round on 28/05/2021, and then decide on 25/06/2021.
More information is available here.