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On 08/04/2021, the European Commission published an impact assessment of the Common Agricultural Policy on generational renewal, local development, and jobs in rural areas. The study confirmed that the population of European farmers in rural areas is aging. Although the impact of the CAP on generational renewal is mostly positive, it remains limited, especially in regions without basic infrastructure and services. According to the study, CAP support may demotivate farmers to transfer farms from the older to the younger generation, as older farmers compensate for very low pensions from CAP support. The conclusions of the impact assessment recommend more targeted funding and support, training, and investment in infrastructure.
More information is available here.

The European Commission has confirmed that it will present the final text of the delegated act on sustainable financing, the so-called taxonomy, on 21/04/2021. However, some topics will not be included in this first delegated act; the European Commission has already decided to draw up a separate document for fossil fuels, as well as for nuclear energy. According to unconfirmed information, a similar approach could apply to agricultural issues, which the European Commission included in the first draft delegated act (December 2020), but in the updated version (March 2021) most references to agriculture are already missing.

Health and Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakides reiterated last week that the European Commission will only carry out impact assessments for individual Farm to Fork objectives separately, and that the Commission continues to avoid carrying out cumulative impact assessments. In response to criticism from some MEPs who disagreed that no impact assessments had been published so far, Kyriakides said Farm to Fork had been published less than a year ago, and only in the form of a non-legally binding Communication, not a legislative act. However, the implementation of the cumulative impact assessment is repeatedly called not only by several MEPs, but also by representatives of large European NGOs, including CropLife (organizations representing pesticide producers) and Copa and Cogeca.
More information is available here and here.

The European Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (COMENVI) supported the development of a single legal framework for soil protection in the EU during a vote on 16/04/2021. Soil protection is a theme that cuts across several European policies, including the CAP, the European Green Deal, and regulations on the use of fertilizers and pesticides. According to COMENVI, soil protection is therefore too fragmented, the solution would be to develop a single legal framework for soil protection in the EU. The proposal was supported in COMENVI by a vote of 73 in favour, and 7 against. The EP plenary will vote on the COMENVI opinion on 26-29 / 04/2021.

Belgium has banned soybean and palm oil-based biofuels due to environmental concerns, deforestation, and biodiversity loss. The aim of the measure is to reduce the demand for biofuels and increase the use of electricity, and train transport should also be strengthened. The ban on the use of biofuels from palm oil will come into force in mid-2022, and soybean fuels will be banned in 2023.
More information is available here.