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The European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (COMAGRI) agreed last week to postpone the European Parliament's vote on the CAP reform. The vote was scheduled for June / July 2020, the postponement to September 2020 was discussed during the last week of March. However, according to comments from last week, the vote on the CAP will not take place before October 2020. The vote on the transitional period should take place according to the original plan, on 27-28/04/2020.
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On 31/03/2020, a total of 87 environmental organizations sent a letter to the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, calling for a complete cessation of the use of synthetic pesticides. According to environmental organizations, the amount of pesticides used should be significantly reduced by 2030, and then completely banned by 2035. In addition, the CAP must target aid to small, diverse and sustainable agro-ecological farms.
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The European People's Party (EPP), bringing together 11 European leaders, including Angela Merkel, called on 30/03/2020 for the UK Government to extend the transitional period after Brexit due to the coronavirus pandemic. The timetable for negotiations on the EU-UK Agreement is now suspended. The UK should make an official request to extend the transitional period, but the UK has so far refused this option. The transitional period is valid until the end of this year, and its possible extension must be decided by the end of June 2020.
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On 30/03/2020, the Council of the European Union adopted a decision approving a free trade agreement with Vietnam, allowing to enter into force on the EU side. The agreement is now awaiting ratification by Vietnam, which could then enter into force in the middle of this year. The agreement will eliminate 99% of EU-Vietnam tariffs, with tariffs being phased out over the next ten years. In the first year of application of the Treaty, customs duties will be abolished on 65% of goods exported from the EU to Vietnam.
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On 25/03/2020, the Ministers of Agriculture discussed the current situation through a videoconference. Agriculture ministers called on the European Commission to introduce coordinated and targeted measures to mitigate the impact of coronavirus outbreak on agriculture and fisheries sector, stressing the need to maintain the supply of high-quality food to the EU market. Ministers IE, FR, PT, CY, LT, RO and PL called for a wide range of security measures under the CMO Regulation to be used. According to the Irish Minister, a working group of experts should be set up to consider in this context all available options. The Italian Minister Teresa Bellanova called for the introduction of a common intervention strategy, which should include short, medium and long-term scenarios. She also mentioned the need for an extraordinary agricultural programme to be implemented through extraordinary resources outside the CAP and an extraordinary single fund to assist with private storage. The Luxembourg Minister supported the speeding up of border controls, in particular in the case of transport of live animals, and rejected full border closures. According to the Dutch Minister, border checks should be accelerated for all agri-food supplies. Sweden stressed the need to ensure the movement of workers in order to provide sufficient seasonal workforce. The Netherlands and Belgium also requested support for the flower and potato sectors that were most affected by the current crisis. The Austrian Minister called for measures to stabilize the market situation, while the Ministers of CZ, FR, FI, CY, BE and PL called for strengthening the flexibility of Member States in the payment of state aid. Ministers CZ, RO, BE, IE, PT, PL, FI and LU also called for simplification/abandonment of on-the-spot checks. According to the Czech Minister of Agriculture, the number of such controls should be limited to the absolute minimum necessary, and exceptions to certain rules under greening measures and production-linked payments should also be allowed to ensure maximum support for the sector and production of sufficient food. The representatives of RO, CZ and PT also supported flexibility in setting national rules for the implementation of rural development programs. Ministers from the Czech Republic and Sweden also supported a two-year transition period for the CAP. The next Council of Ministers should take place 27-28/04/2020.
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