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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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Within the framework of the European Green Deal, the European Commission has set a binding goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050, this goal has already been approved by the Council and the European Parliament. However, the institutions are now negotiating what reduction targets for greenhouse gas emissions should be set for 2030 and, possibly, for 2040. The Commission is proposing a reduction of 55%, and the Council has taken the same view. However, Parliament is more ambitious in its position, seeking a 60% reduction by 2030 and setting another target for 2040. All three parties have so far insisted on their original positions, no compromise can be found. The European Commission is counting on a 55% target, and in June 2021 should present a comprehensive legislative package called ‘Fit for 55’, which will aim to achieve a reduction of 55% in greenhouse gas emissions in several sectors. Several revisions of existing legislation will be implemented, including the revision of the REDII, the revision of the ETS, as well as the revision of the Land Use Framework, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF). The Portuguese Presidency is therefore under time pressure to reach an agreement in the trialogue before June 2021.
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On his Twitter, Janusz Wojciechowski, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, supported the introduction of a mandatory definition of a real farmer, and called on the farming community to identify possible criteria for setting this definition. According to him, farmers should now be involved in the debate on setting the definition. The Commissioner himself proposed four own criteria for the definition - the active farmer should be permanently resident on his farm, keep at least a minimum of livestock, make a profit from agriculture of at least 25% of his total income, and should farm on land he received from his ancestors. According to the Commissioner, meeting one of these criteria should be sufficient to meet the definition of a real farmer.
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