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On 15/03/2021, a court of the French Council of State confirmed the validity of the temporary authorization of the use of neonicotinoids in the sugar beet sector, due to the threat to the crop by pests. The Supreme Administrative Court thus rejects the appeal of several NGOs and associations requesting the suspension of the decree, stating that the law of 14/12/2020 authorizing the temporary reintroduction of neonicotinoids has already been confirmed by the Constitutional Council, and that the decree only applies to the 2021 campaign for maximum 120 days. According to the findings of the Council of State, the temporary permit is not in conflict with national or European law. The Council of State emphasized that, given the significant drop in production in 2020, there are no other effective means to protect sugar beet from pests.
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European agricultural organizations warned last week that a new EU carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) could negatively affect fertilizer prices. As such, the CBAM is not intended to cover agricultural products and, according to European agricultural organizations, should not apply to fertilizers, which, however, are included in the CBAM as practically the only agricultural item. Fertilizer prices are already higher in Europe than in the rest of the world, and CBAM would raise prices even more, making European agricultural products more expensive.
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Under the European Green Deal, the European Commission is preparing an Action Plan for Organic Farming, which will complement the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies. Both strategies, presented in May 2020, set a new target for organic farming, extending the area of organic farming to 25% of agricultural area by 2030. The new action plan, the working version of which leaked last week, should help meet this target of achieving 25% of the area of agricultural land under organic farming by supporting the shift from conventional to organic farming practices. However, in the working version of the document, the Commission also counts on supporting the strengthening of demand for organic production, so organic food should be supported in public procurement, school canteens, workplaces, and households. According to the provisional wording of the text, organic farming should be an example of sustainable farming practices, should strengthen the sustainability of agricultural production, make better use of resources, apply higher animal welfare standards, and strengthen farmers' incomes. Organic farming also has the potential to help meet other targets identified in the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies, regarding reduction targets for pesticide and fertilizer use. The new action plan follows the action plan for organic farming for the period 2014-2020, the European Commission will publish an evaluation of the old action plan during 2021. The new action plan is also based on the recommendations for strategic planning issued by the European Commission for individual EU countries in December 2020, and on the guidelines for setting up eco-schemes published by the Commission in January 2021. The European Commission states that for the most effective expansion of organic farming in the EU, each Member State should develop a national strategy that includes specific actions, clear deadlines, and national targets for organic farming. These national strategies should also provide an explanation of how the Member States' actions and plans will help to meet the EU's target of a 25% share for organic farming. For the time being, the European Commission structures the document around three main axes and main themes (production, processing, and retail and consumers). Within the individual axes, the European Commission identifies a total of 23 actions that should be implemented through 51 (for now) specific initiatives.

Representatives of the European Commission said last week that the Commission is considering introducing a mandatory reduction target for pesticide use of 50% by 2030 into the revised legislation during work on the revision of legislation on the sustainable use of pesticides. The revision should be presented in early 2022 (first quarter) and should help meet the objectives of the European Green Deal and Farm to Fork strategy. The European Commission has set a target within the Farm to Fork strategy to reduce the volume of pesticides used by 50% by 2030, but the strategy as such is not legally binding. However, the inclusion of this objective in EU legislation would make the objective legally binding, i.e., mandatory for Member States. The revision could also include changes in the tax system for pesticides, the introduction of clearer labelling of the most dangerous pesticides, the creation of a database of crop-specific guidelines for pesticide application, or the use of drones to reduce the amount of substances sprayed in the field. The role of the European Commission in monitoring Member States' national plans for the use of pesticides in agriculture could also be strengthened. National pesticide use plans should be more closely linked to national CAP strategic plans, in which the sustainable use of pesticides should also be more emphasized in cross-compliance rules or eco-schemes.

On 10/03/20201, the European Parliament supported the introduction of a carbon border adjustment mechanism for certain goods imported into the EU from third countries but stressed that the new rules must be in line with WTO rules. The resolution was approved by a vote of 444 in favour, 70 against, and 181 abstentions. According to the Parliament, the mechanism should fall under the wider EU Industrial Strategy, covering all products and commodities covered by the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and by 2023 for example also chemicals or fertilizers. The funds raised through the mechanism should be used to meet the objectives of the European Green Deal.
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