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A total of eleven non-governmental agricultural organizations from nine Member States of the European Union (IT, DK, EE, LV, LT, RO, BG, CZ, SK) adopted a common position against the mandatory capping of direct payments. In a joint statement, the organizations supported the introduction of voluntary capping, as endorsed by the European Council in July 2020, and rejected mandatory capping, which would be discriminatory for some Member States. According to the common position, the introduction of capping would limit investment and jeopardize competitiveness.

The European Parliament voted on 08/10/2020 on its own opinion on the European Climate Legal Framework (European Climate Law). During September, the European Commission confirmed that the European Climate Legal Framework should strengthen the target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 55% by 2030. However, last week Parliament approved an even stronger increase in greenhouse gas emission reductions, up to 60% by 2030 (compared to 1990). The opinion, in the form of amendments to the Commission proposal, was adopted by 392 votes to 161, with 142 abstentions. According to Parliament, the Commission should, by 31/05/2023, assess the possibilities for setting an indicative trajectory at Union level in order to achieve the set climate target for 2030 and, where appropriate, for 2040 (based on an impact assessment). The Commission should further ensure that industry is sufficiently able to undergo the transition to climate neutrality and achieve the overly ambitious targets by 2030 and 2040. Parliament also called for the Union institutions and all Member States to phase out all direct and indirect fossil fuel subsidies as soon as possible, but no later than 2025.
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European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans warned during the plenary of the European Parliament on 08/10/2020 that if immediate action is not taken against climate change, Europe will face a future without pollinators and without agriculture. According to Timmermans, farmers will now be responsible not only for food production but also for climate protection. He also stressed the need to strengthen carbon sequestration in the soil. According to Timmermans, it will be less costly for farmers to deal with the situation now than it would in the future.
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The European Commission plans to present a proposal for EU strategy on the reduction of methane, including methane from agriculture, as early as 14/10/2020. The strategy should also be linked to the CAP strategic plans, which should support methods that will lead to a reduction in the volume of gases produced. According to the draft document, EU Member States should improve their reporting on emissions from agriculture. The European Commission will provide guidance by 2022 to help achieve carbon balance at farm level. By the end of 2021, the European Commission should provide a list of best practices to motivate farms to adopt reduction schemes. The list should also include feed and livestock techniques. Emissions from agriculture, according to the draft version of the document, have fallen by 22% since 1990, but have risen again in the last five years due to the increase in herd size.

EU Member States are working on a common position on the Farm to Fork Strategy. According to the latest version of the working document, Member States recognize Farm to Fork (F2F) as one of the key elements of the European Green Deal, F2F measures should contribute to the development of sustainable food systems in the EU and climate neutrality by 2050. Member States shall encourage the move towards the integration of global, regional, and local food systems in a mutually reinforcing manner and in enhancing food security. In the draft, Member States call for consistency and coherence between EU policies, the F2F, the CAP, and the Biodiversity Strategy. They emphasize the need to ensure a fair income for primary producers, to strengthen the position of primary producers and their cooperatives in the food supply chain, and to base all F2F-related legislative proposals on scientifically based data and impact assessments. Member States also welcome the Commission's efforts to strengthen support for protein crop production. The proposal will be discussed on 12/10/2020 during a meeting of the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA), the text is not yet final.