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The European Parliament's opinion on the Farm to Fork Strategy should be drawn up under the joint responsibility of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (COMAGRI) and the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (COMENVI). This did not confirm the assumption that COMENVI should be the only committee to work on the opinion. Within COMENVI, Dutch MEP Anja Hazekamp (GUE / NGL) has already been appointed rapporteur for the opinion on Farm to Fork; COMAGRI should appoint rapporteur and shadow rapporteurs on 25/06/2020. Herbert Dorfmann (IT), Coordinator for Agriculture at the EPP political group, is one of the possible candidates for the post of COMAGRI rapporteur.

The environmental organizations Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung and Friends of the Earth Europe published on 09/06/2020 a new study on insect populations called the Insect Atlas. According to the results of the study, industrial agriculture, which is dependent on pesticides and characterized by monotony in the landscape, is one of the main challenges for the existence of insects in nature. Organizations in the study state that 40% of insect species face declining populations and a third are threatened with extinction. According to the study, excessive use of pesticides endangers not only pollinators and other insect species, but also food safety. The organizations therefore call for a radical change in the rules of the Common Agricultural Policy, the elimination of untargeted direct area payments, the allocation of at least 50% of the total CAP budget for environmental, nature and climate initiatives, and the reduction of livestock production.
More information is available here.

The European Commission sent letters to all EU Member States on 20/05/2020, the day of the publication of the Biodiversity Strategy and the Farm to Fork Strategy, calling for the full implementation of existing European rules related to agriculture. The Commission is ready to take legal action in the event of further non-compliance. Germany was invited by the Commission to implement rules on the assessment of plant protection products and the reduction of tails of pigs.

On 11/06/2020, the European Commission published a study on financial needs in agriculture and the agri-food sector. According to the study, the agricultural sector will face an investment deficit in the range of € 19.8 to 46.6 billion, while the agri-food sector will face a deficit of € 12.8 billion. However, given the current coronavirus crisis, the financial deficit may widen further, according to the European Commission. The report shows that farmers in most countries face higher interest rates and financially less favourable conditions than businesses in other sectors of the economy, and that flexibility in lending to farmers and repaying loans is insufficient, according to the Commission. According to the Commission, large agricultural holdings have easier access to a wide range of financial resources, while the problem of financing significantly affects young farmers, small farmers and new farmers.
More information is available here and here.

On 11/06/2020, the European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (COMAGRI) approved a proposal for measures to provide exceptional temporary support under the EAFRD in response to the spread of COVID-19. The proposal includes the inclusion of exceptional temporary support for small and medium-sized enterprises active in the processing, marketing and / or development of agricultural products, which are particularly affected by the COVID-19 crisis. According to COMAGRI, the maximum amount of aid should not exceed € 7,000 per farmer (Commission proposes € 5,000) and € 50,000 per SME (in line with the Commission proposal), the aid should be paid by 30/06/2021 (Commission proposes payment by 31 / 12/2020). According to COMAGRI, support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) provided under this measure should be limited to a maximum of 2% of the total EAFRD contribution to the rural development program (the Commission proposes 1%). The COMAGRI opinion has yet to be approved by the plenary of the European Parliament, which should take place as early as 17-19/06/2020.
More information is available here.