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Last week, the European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism (EFFAT) called on European agriculture ministers and MEPs to make the CAP payments conditional on compliance with national and international working conditions. A copy of the letter was also sent to Janusz Wojciechowski, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, and Nicolas Schmit, Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights. In addition to EFFAT, the letter was signed by other trade associations, NGOs - a total of about 300 signatories. In the letter, the organizations emphasize that there are around 10 million workers and seasonal workers in the EU's agricultural sector. However, during the coronavirus crisis, according to EFFAT, many of these workers had to face human rights violations, inhumane working conditions, low wages, and long working hours. Therefore, according to the authors of the letter, subsidies from the CAP should not only be conditional on compliance with environmental standards or animal welfare rules, but also compliance with working conditions set by national and European legislation - i.e., in addition to environmental conditionality, social conditionality should also be met. The introduction of social conditionality among the rules of the new CAP is now being discussed as an option by EU Member States in the Council and in the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA), and social conditionality is also supported by several MEPs.
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Wolfgang Burtscher, Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) confirmed on 17/02/2021 the Commission's intention to present a new action plan for organic farming on 31/03/2021. The action plan - part of the European Green Deal, will focus on meeting one of the objectives of the Farm to Fork strategy (which is also part of the EGD), i.e., strengthening the area of organic farming to 25% of the area of agricultural land by 2030. The action plan will present "massive" initiatives at all levels of the supply chain over the next six years, covering all possible instruments and policies. The rules, conditions and opportunities of current organic farmers should be strengthened, but maximum support should also be provided to farmers who decide to convert from conventional to organic farming or other forms of sustainable agriculture. According to Burtscher, the challenge will be to stimulate demand for organic products, which could be achieved, for example, through changes in the public procurement system.

On 18/02/2021, the European Commission published a new study on the socio-economic impact of the CAP on rural development. According to the results, the CAP can, through a range of instruments and measures, contribute to balanced regional development and strengthen the socio-economic inclusion of rural areas, but success depends on what measures and instruments Member States have chosen to implement. For example, in the case of CAP direct payments, the Commission states that direct payments have a positive impact on employment in rural areas but emphasizes that they are often criticized for providing significant financial support to larger farms. CAP payments should therefore be made more regionally, focusing on the poorest agricultural regions in the EU, and to support those farms (in terms of size and type) that face the worst social and economic conditions. The CAP Strategic plans should therefore also be assessed by stakeholders representing the disadvantaged rural population. The study will contribute to the development of a forthcoming long-term vision for rural areas, which the Commission plans to present in autumn 2021.
More information is available here.

Under the LIFE Programme, the European Commission will invest a total of € 121 million in environment, nature, and climate projects in 2021. Funds for 2021 are increased by 20% compared to 2020, they should help the green recovery and fulfilment of environmental goals in SK, BE, DE, IE, FR, HU, IT, LV, NL, PL, and PT. The European Commission expects to invest considerable additional funding in these integrated projects, as it will make it easier for Member States to use other sources of EU funding, including agricultural, structural, regional and research funds, as well as national funds and private sector investment.
More information is available here.

On 25/01/2021, the European Commission approved a ban on the use of lead bullets in wetlands. Member States are obliged to implement the regulation by 15/02/2023 (possibly until 2024 for countries with an area of more than 20% wetlands). The commission estimates that hunters clog wetlands with more than 20,000 tonnes of lead cartridges a year. The ban will reduce the number of dead birds that have died from lead poisoning by up to one million.
More information is available here.