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On 09/06/2020, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Janusz Wojciechowski, presented to the coordinators of the EP's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development a new possible crisis proposal to help the wine, fruit and vegetable sectors. The new measures could be officially introduced as early as July 2020. According to Wojciechowski, the Commission is considering increasing co-financing for promotion, green harvesting and restructuring; on financial allocations for crisis measures in the wine sector under the 2021 budget; to extend planting in 2020 until July 2021; and on launching crisis cartels measures.

Some MEPs called for an impact assessment of the possible ban on the use of glyphosate on farmers. The impact assessment was supported, for example, by Norbert Lins (EPP, DE), Hermann Tertsch (ECR, ES), but also Ville Niinistö (Greens, FI). The use of glyphosate in the EU is approved until 15/12/2022. Following the application for renewal of the glyphosate license after 2022 submitted by the glyphosate renewal group, the renewal evaluation process has now been formally launched. The group submitted an application on 12/12/2019; on 08/06/2020 it also provided a Risk Assessment and Assessment of glyphosate. The Glyphosate Evaluation Group (AGG), composed of representatives of FR, SE, HU and NL, can now start the scientific process of evaluating glyphosate and assessing its safety for human health and the environment. According to the European Food Safety Authority, the evaluation should also include an impact assessment in terms of food availability, biodiversity, farmers' incomes and available alternatives.
More information is available here and here.

The Committee for Risk Assessment preparing the opinions of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) supported the proposal to limit the deliberate addition of microplastics to fertilizers and other products in excess of 0.01% by weight. The proposal was supported in an effort to prevent the release of microplastics into nature. The ECHA Socio-Economic Analysis Committee has now launched a 60-day consultation, and a consolidated opinion of both committees should be available by the end of 2020.
More information is available here.

Representatives of the United Kingdom informed the European Commission last week of the decision not to extend the transitional period, during which the same rules apply to EU-UK relations as before Brexit. The European Union, on the other hand, was in favour of extending the transitional period. The transitional period should therefore end at the end of this year (it could be extended until the end of 2021).

On 27/05/2020, the European Commission presented Next Generation EU budget totalling €750 billion (NGEU, €500 billion in direct grants, €250 billion in loans) and a new Multiannual Financial Framework. Under the NGEU, the Commission proposes to strengthen the budget of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development by €15 billion (€16.5 billion in current prices) to support structural change in rural areas to comply with the Green Deal. Under the MFF, the Commission proposes to strengthen the budget of the first pillar of the CAP by €4 billion (€4.5 billion at current prices) and the second pillar by €5 billion (€5.6 billion at current prices). In total, for the post-2021 CAP, the Commission proposes €348.3 billion at constant prices (€391.4 billion at current prices), with the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (first pillar, direct payments) reaching €258.3 billion (€290,7 billion at current prices), the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (second pillar) will reach €90 billion (€100.6 billion at current prices). Member States will be able to transfer up to 15% between the pillars. Co-financing for the second pillar will be allowed at 70% for less developed regions, 43% for other regions, 65% for AEKO, 80% for LEADER, and 100% for funds transferred from the envelope for direct payments. Regarding €15 billion from the NGEU for the second pillar the Commission states that the measures and objectives for which these funds will be used must be included in the national strategic plans for the CAP, funds will be available when the new CAP enters into force (i.e. not during the transitional period), and it will be possible to use them only for a period of two years until 2024. The allocations for individual Member States are not yet known, funds under the second pillar will be allocated according to the same key as in 2018.
More information is available here.