News

The European Commission is considering a possible ban on the export of pesticides whose use is banned in the European Union. In recent months, European environmental NGOs have pointed out that European companies continue to produce pesticides that must not be used in the EU and then export them to third countries. However, according to environmental organizations, this not only runs counter to the EU's efforts to strengthen climate and environmental ambitions by moving the problem from the EU to third countries, but also increases the risk of banned pesticides in the form of residues in imported food and commodities returning to the EU. In response to criticism from NGOs, the European Commission has stated that it is now considering the possibility of effectively implementing a new EU strategy for chemicals, including a possible ban on the export of banned pesticides.
More information is available here.

The European Commission reached an agreement with the United Kingdom on future relations on 24/12/2020, after almost four years of negotiations. The draft trade agreement is based on three main pillars: the free trade agreement (it provides for zero tariffs and zero quotas; it covers goods, services, investment, competition, state aid, tax transparency, air and road transport, energy and sustainability; fisheries, data protection, and social security coordination); partnership for the security of European citizens (provides a framework for law enforcement and judicial cooperation); and a horizontal governance agreement (to provide maximum legal certainty for businesses, consumers and citizens). The agreement does not apply to foreign policy, nor to cooperation in the field of external security and protection. From 01/01/2021, despite the agreement reached, Britain will leave the customs union and the EU's single market, ending the free movement of people, goods, services and capital between the UK and the EU. The EU and the United Kingdom will then form two separate markets, creating barriers to trade in goods and services and cross-border mobility. The agreement should be applied for a temporary period (for the time being), until 28/02/2021. Until then, the Member States and the European Parliament should examine and confirm the wording of the EU-UK agreement. The implementation of the agreement should then be extended permanently.
More information is available here.

On 18/12/2020, the European Commission issued a total of three documents concerning recommendations to Member States for the preparation of national CAP Strategic Plans. The General Commission’s Communication (available here) summarizes the basic areas for which recommendations have been issued. The Communication is complemented by an annex, which summarizes the benchmarks for the objectives of the European Green Deal (available here). The third document is a recommendation to each specific Member State. These are therefore 27 separate documents (available here), the recommendation is based on an analysis of the agri-food sector of a Member State. For each Member State, the Commission has made a maximum of 15 recommendations; according to the European Commission, the recommendations are not mandatory, so Member States do not have to include them in the draft strategic plans when drawing up the strategic plans.

At its Plenary session of 16/12/2020, the European Parliament approved transitional regulation on support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) in 2021. Parliament supported the extension of EAFRD-supported programs of 31/12/2020 to 31/12/2022, the transitional period will last for two years. Under these provisions, Parliament also approved exceptional support for the agricultural sector during the coronavirus crisis, totalling €8.07 billion at current prices. Less than €2.4 billion will be released in 2021, the remaining amount of around €5.7 billion will be released in 2022. At least 37% of the additional resources will be devoted mainly to organic farming, climate change mitigation and adaptation, including the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, soil protection, including increasing soil fertility through carbon sequestration, better water use and management, including water conservation, the creation, conservation and restoration of biodiversity-friendly habitats, reducing the risks and impacts of the use of pesticides and antimicrobials, animal welfare, and LEADER. At least 55% of the additional resources in each rural development program will be set aside for measures to support short supply chains and local markets, sustainable use of resources, including accurate and smart agriculture, innovation, and digitization, strengthening occupational safety conditions, renewable energies, the circular economy and the bioeconomy, the availability of high-quality information and communication technologies in rural areas. On 16/12/2020 Parliament also approved the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027 Under the new MFF, the CAP should contribute to climate action and adaptation - a total of 26% of the envelope for 2021-2022 and 40% of the envelope for 2023-2027. Subsequently, on 17/12/2020, Parliament approved the part of the MFF concerning, inter alia, own resources, which includes the forthcoming plastic tax.
EP opinions on the transitional period are available here, on the MFF here and here.

Trilogues between Parliament, the Council, and the Commission on the new reform of the Common Agricultural Policy continue. The last trialogue under the German Presidency took place on 17/12/2020, the next trialogue under the Portuguese Presidency will probably not take place until the second half of January 2021. The institutions will try to reach an agreement on the CAP by the end of the Portuguese Presidency (tentatively targeting April 2021), the agreement must be than formally approved by Parliament and the Council. Pascal Canfin, Chair of the EP Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (COMENVI) threatened last week that the COMENVI could reject the adoption of the new CAP rules during the final vote if the European Parliament's negotiators give in too much to the demands of the Council (the Council has a milder position in many areas, for example, it calls for an allocation of 20% of the first pillar envelope for eco-schemes, while Parliament has 30%). Canfin emphasized that the new CAP must be in line with the European Green Agreement.