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Fifteen EU Member States (FR, BG, HR, CY, CZ, GR, HU, IT, LV, LU, PL, RO, SK, SI, ES) have adopted a joint declaration of agriculture ministers on protein crop production in the European Union. The declaration was presented to the Council of Agriculture Ministers on 21/09/2020. Member States have encouraged self-sufficiency in protein crop production to escape dependence on imports and strengthening self-sufficiency would also help meet Farm to Fork's fertilizer reduction targets, according to ministers. The European Union currently imports about half of the volume of oilseeds used and is only 5% self-sufficient in soybean production. The common agricultural policy should help to strengthen the production of protein crops, for example through targeted support for the expansion of sown areas, or through coupled support (VCS).
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The French government plans to release up to €100 million from the recovery plan for plant protein production as part of a strategy to reduce plant protein imports. According to a press release from the FR government, this financial amount should cover ensuring protein self-sufficiency and significantly reduce the import of proteins intended for livestock breeding. France is one of the European countries that produces the most oilseed rape and sunflower seeds, but it is not self-sufficient. Although about 400,000 tonnes of soybeans were grown in the FR, another almost 600,000 tonnes were imported mainly from Brazil, the USA and Argentina.
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The European Union and China signed a trade agreement on 14/09/2020 to protect 100 European geographical indications in China and 100 Chinese geographical indications in the EU against unauthorized use and counterfeiting. The list of EU geographical indications protected in China includes products such as Cava, Champagne, Feta, Irish whiskey, Polska Wódka, Porto, Prosciutto di Parma and Queso Manchego. The agreement, which will enter into force in early 2021, will now be formally adopted by the EU Council.
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According to informal information, the German Presidency is preparing the parameters of the Council's opinion on the Common Agricultural Policy. According to previous statements, Germany should try to reach an agreement on the CAP in the Agriculture Council during October or November 2020. According to unconfirmed information, the German Presidency will support the introduction of a definition of a real farmer on a voluntary basis. If Member States decide to introduce a definition of a real farmer in their national strategic plans for the CAP, this definition should be based on objective and non-discriminatory criteria. As regards the additional income support for young farmers, which should be compulsory in the form of annual decoupled payments per eligible hectare or in the form of lump sums, Member States could voluntarily decide to link this support to a limited number of hectares per farmer. As regards the capping of direct payments, the German Presidency is likely to make use of the European Council Decision of 21/07/2020, thus promoting voluntary capping. However, it is considering allowing capping (still on a voluntary basis) for amounts below € 100,000 (the European Council has supported voluntary capping for amounts above € 100,000, only for basic income support for sustainability, and with a possible deduction of labour costs). According to initial information, Germany plans to make partial use of the Commission's proposal, which proposed in 2018 that direct payments be reduced progressively from EUR 60,000 (for amounts ranging from € 60,000 to € 75,000, a reduction of at least 25% should be introduced, for payments in range of 75,000 - 90,000 € at least 50%, and for payments in the range of 90,000 - 100,000 € at least 75%). The German Presidency is considering granting Member States the option of voluntarily benefiting from reductions of 25%, 50% and 75% for amounts below EUR 100,000, and subsequently voluntarily capping 100% of amounts above EUR 100,000. Regarding transfers between the pillars, Germany is likely to support the Council's position, i.e. transfers of up to 25% from the first to the second pillar, and at the rate of 25% of the second to the first pillar. From the first to the second pillar, an additional increase of 15% should be possible if these funds are used for environmental and climate objectives, and a further 2% if support for young farmers. Regarding external convergence, Germany is likely to support the European Council's view that all Member States with direct payments below 90% of the EU average will receive at least a 50% difference from this average. From 2022, all Member States should receive at least EUR 200 / ha, and from 2027 at least EUR 215 / ha. With regard to eco-schemes of the first pillar, Germany is in favour of mandatory eco-schemes (for Member States, their use should be voluntary for farmers), with Germany supporting the allocation of a minimum budget amount for the first pillar for eco-schemes. Finally, Germany is considering addressing the area of non-productive elements under GAEC 9. Non-productive elements should occupy an as yet undetermined percentage of arable land (compared to Commission proposals, change, Commission proposes 10% of total agricultural land), Germany is also considering nitrogen-binding crops and catch crops, unless these areas are intended for further crop production. The counting rate for catch crops should be 0.3.

The European Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (COMENVI) voted on 11/09/2020 on the opinion on A framework for climate neutrality. The Commission has proposed achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and has also proposed reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 to 55% by 2030. In its opinion of 11/09/2020, COMENVI supported the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 as a legally binding target for all member states. Neutrality should therefore be achieved individually in each of the 27 EU Member States and in the whole EU. According to COMENVI, emissions should be reduced by at least 60% by 2030 (compared to 50-55% in the Commission proposal). COMENVI also proposes that an emission reduction target be set for 2040 as well, to ensure that climate neutrality is achieved by 2050. The opinion was approved by 46 votes to 18 and with 17 abstentions. The plenary of the European Parliament should vote on the opinion during the first week of October.
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