News

On 04/03/2021, the European Commission published a new study to evaluate information tools under the CAP. The aim of the evaluation is to assess the relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency and added value of CAP information measures. According to the Commission, the current instruments have been successful in raising awareness and understanding of the CAP, and their objectives are therefore largely achieved. The study will contribute to the overall evaluation of the current CAP, which should be completed and published in autumn 2021.
More information is available here.

On 01/03/2021, the European Commission launched a public consultation on the Contingency Plan for food security, which is part of the Farm to Fork strategy. The initiative aims to assess the resilience of the food chain and subsequently develop a contingency plan for food supply and food security. The Commission states that "this contingency plan would seek to improve preparation for any type of crisis that could significantly affect food security in the EU, and coordination across the policy areas relevant to the food system (agriculture, fisheries, food safety, workforce, health, transport issues, etc.). This includes establishing a food crisis response mechanism to be coordinated by the Commission and involving Member States, as well as a set of broad guidelines and recommendations to improve coordination at EU and Member States level, informed by the outcomes of the work of the forum."
The consultation is available here.

The EP Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (COMAGRI) adopted its opinion on the EU Biodiversity Strategy on 04/03/2021. COMAGRI supported an ambitious strategy to halt the loss of biodiversity in the European Union but called for a cumulative impact assessment to be carried out so that individual measures and targets could be set correctly. The impact assessment should be based on scientific bases, the impacts of the strategy on social and economic sustainability should be assessed. In a new opinion, committee members supported the development and approval of more new, affordable, and effective alternatives to chemical pesticides, and said that the CAP strategic plans should promote biodiversity, protect pollinators, and reduce fertilizer use. Farmers who implement sustainable plant protection practices should be encouraged and compensated. Sustainability must not only be achieved in the field of environment and climate, COMAGRI also emphasizes economic sustainability. However, according to the COMAGRI opinion, 10% of land should be set aside from production, as proposed by the Commission (non-production elements, landscape elements, buffer zones, drawbridges). In its opinion, COMAGRI also supported the strengthening of the role of forests in the context of efforts to halt the loss of biodiversity in the EU. The opinion was adopted by COMAGRI by 35 votes to 8, with 5 abstentions. The opinion will now be given to the EP's Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (COMENVI), which has key competences for the biodiversity strategy. COMENVI will vote on its opinion on 22/04/2021.
More information is available here.

The European Commission plans to present rules of the carbon border adjustment mechanism in June 2021 as part of a package aimed at reducing emissions in the EU by 55% by 2030. Pesticides imported from third countries could become the first product for which the new mechanism will be applied. To facilitate the tracing of the carbon footprint, digital product passports would be introduced, and the information contained in these passports could be extended to items other than carbon over the years. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said last week that the United Kingdom is not going to take similar steps, carbon taxes will not be introduced yet.
More information is available here.

The European Commission has set aside half of its funding for 2021 agri-food production promotion programs to support organic production and to meet Farm to Fork objectives. This amounts to a total of €86 million, of which €49 million is for the organic sector, €19 million for the promotion of fruit and vegetables, and €18 million for the promotion of sustainable production. COMAGRI Members objected to the decision, stressing that organic farming represents less than 10% of the value of total agricultural production. According to them, the allocation of almost half of the total funds will also support the import of many "organic" products from third countries.