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In connection with the COVID-19 crisis, the European Commission is working on amendments to the draft of the post-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the new draft was to be discussed as early as 06/05/2020, but the deadline was postponed. According to the latest information, the new MFF could be discussed on 27/05/2020, which should also include the EU's upcoming COVID-19 recovery plan. The budget should include new "own resources", grants, and investment support through national guarantees. The European Commission continues to emphasize the key role of environmental and climate protection.

On 12/05/2020, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki sent a letter to Janusz Wojciechowski, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, calling for a strengthening of the CAP budget in the context of the forthcoming proposal to amend the Multiannual Financial Framework. Morawiecki is calling for a CAP budget increase of at least 10% compared to the current Commission’s proposal, which would be a reinforcement of less than 0.03% of the EU’s GDP. According to Morawiecki, the agricultural sector provides food security during the COVID-19 crisis, and it is therefore "unfortunate" that the future CAP is threatened by insufficient budget, not only in the context of the courant crisis but also the reinforced environmental and climate ambitions.
More information is available here.

The European Commission continues to work on the Farm to Fork Strategy, according to the latest information the Commission emphasizes the link between Farm to Fork and the European Green Deal, confirms the Commission's interest in maintaining the European Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy as a key Commission’s priorities for the next 5 years. The Commission also highlights the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, which the European Commission has said has raised awareness of the interconnectedness between ecosystems, supply chains, consumer preferences and global links. The aim of the Farm to Fork Strategy is to move towards sustainable food production, which, according to the Commission, will have environmental, health and social benefits, while also offering economic opportunities and contributing to the competitiveness of the sector. The Commission emphasizes the need to maintain the economic viability of primary producers while ensuring that consumers have optimal conditions for lifestyle change. The European food system should become a global standard of sustainability. Among the biggest adjustments that the European Commission is considering compared to previous informal versions, according to the latest information, is a new enhanced emphasis on the implementation of risk assessments for all proposals and objectives that the Commission will present in the strategy. In addition to the risk assessment, there will be public consultations and discussions with stakeholders on the individual proposals. Also in the area of implementing targets for the reduction of pesticides, fertilizers or antibiotics, the Commission could now explicitly state that different starting positions and different potential for improvements in Member States will be taken into account when setting rules within Member States. In terms of specific objectives, the Commission is now in line with the draft Farm to Fork Strategy, in line with the working draft of the EU Biodiversity Strategy of early May 2020: organic farming should reach 25% of agricultural land by 2030; the reduction of chemical pesticides and the risks associated with their use should reach 50%; reduction of fertilizers 20%, reduction of sales of antibiotics for livestock 50%. The Commission further emphasizes the link between the Farm to Fork Strategy and the Action plan for the circular economy, especially in the context of the 50% food waste reduction target; reduction of packaging materials; and support for shortening supply chains. The Commission is stepping up the Commission's emphasis on meat consumption - according to the Commission, European diets are not in line with nutritional recommendations, especially for calories, sugar, fat, salt and, more recently, red meat. The Commission should also focus on strengthening the sustainability of livestock production and promoting plant-based alternatives to meat products (including financial support through Horizon 2000). The Commission will propose the end of European programmes promoting meat, coupled support will be very strictly assessed in the case of livestock aid. The Commission could also focus on tax systems to encourage change so that taxes support the consumption of sustainable and healthy food, including, for example, organic production or fruit and vegetables. The Commission reiterates that the new Farm to Fork Strategy and its objectives will need to be reflected in the national CAP Strategic Plans - according to the latest information, the Commission could also focus on enhancing the effectiveness of direct payments and better targeting them to direct support farmers who need direct payments the most and who meet the EU's green ambitions. In the case of climate and environmental schemes (so-called eco-schemes falling under the first pillar of the CAP), the Commission could support the introduction of a specific minimum financial allocation to be allocated to eco-schemes (in the European Commission's 2018 CAP proposal eco-schemes did not propose any specific amounts). With a view to becoming a world leader in sustainability, the Commission should also aim to adjust trade agreements with third countries, which should include new additions to the sustainability of production, and which should ensure that food supplied to EU markets meets the requirements of EU production. According to the Commission, the Farm to Fork Strategy could then be revised in 2023.

Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius confirmed last week the deadline for presenting an EU Biodiversity Strategy on 20/05/2020. According to Sinkievičius, however, the goal of organic farming is still being discussed within the European Commission - in the draft version of the Strategy in early May 2020 the Commission proposes to reach at least 25% of total agricultural land under organic farming, in previous proposals the Commission considered 30%. The resulting target for organic farming could therefore still be different. In this context, the European media recall that between 2000 and 2018, the average share of organic farming in the European Union increased from 2.3% to only 7.7%, and the targets set in the Biodiversity Strategy should be valid for 2030.
More information is available here.

On 14/05/2020, the European Commission launched a public consultation on climate action, adaptation to climate change. The consultation is a part of the European Green Deal and the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. The Commission states that extreme weather events have a significant impact on, for example, water scarcity in the EU, leading to reduced economic activity in agriculture, aquaculture, tourism, power plant cooling, and cargo shipping on rivers. The consultation is open until 20/08/2020.
More information is available here.