News

The March Agriculture and Fisheries Council (scheduled for 23/03/2020) was cancelled due to the spread of COVID-19 in the EU; Ministers of Agriculture should meet during the April Council of Ministers on 27/04/2020. Given that the last Council of Ministers was held in January 2020 (the February Council was also cancelled) and given the need now to address the issue of coronavirus spread in the EU, there is a further delay in reaching agreement on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and the Common Agricultural Policy. According to some information, an agreement on the MFF and the CAP could only be reached under the German Presidency in the second half of 2020. Italy's Minister of Agriculture Teresa Bellanova also highlighted the risk of disrupting the EU's single market - According to the Italian Minister, on 11/03/2020, food supplies were blocked at the borders of Italy and Croatia, and the situation at the border with Austria is also complicated. Bellanova therefore called on the European Commission to ensure that Member States comply with EU single market rules. The European Council (Prime Ministers and Presidents) has not yet been cancelled, it should take place on 26-27/03/2020, with the topic of the COVID-19 spread on the agenda.
More information is available here and here.

On 13/03/2020, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) gave its opinion concerning the Commission’s proposal for a regulation on transitional provisions relating to the common agricultural policy in the year 2021. According to the European Court of Auditors, the new CAP will be delayed by at least one year, but rapid agreement between the institutions seems to be relatively unlikely so far, the ECA states in this context that it could be difficult to implement the new legal framework and CAP strategic plans from 2022. According to the ECA, ambitions should not be weakened during the transitional period, and environmental and climate ambitions should be maintained, ideally strengthened. According to the ECA, "there is a need to urgently begin to improve the CAP". The ECA supported the extension of some rural development programs until 31/12/2021.
More information is available here and here.

A group of 3600 environmental scientists published an opinion last week on the Common Agricultural Policy and called on the European Commission to make major changes to the CAP structure. It considers the most 'urgent' abandonment of all coupled payments, which currently disrupt the functioning of the single market, but also lead to high greenhouse gas production. In addition, area‐based payments should be replaced by a system of support based on the provision of public goods - in this context, scientists propose abandoning all payments that have an adverse impact on the environment and the climate; strengthening the budget for the second pillar; setting up the co-financing system for the 1st pillar and at the same time reducing the co-financing of the second pillar. The scientists also called on the Commission to introduce measures to reduce greenhouse gas production - under this point they included restrictions on aid paid to support livestock production, strengthening aid for the restoration of forests, wetlands or the management of waterlogged soils. Scientists also call for a halt to the trend of biodiversity decline, so at least 10% of the total agricultural land area should be earmarked for landscape features, buffer zones, or fallow land. Extensive grassland should also be encouraged. The study also stressed that EU international trade is leading to negative impacts in third countries, which needs to be reversed and trade agreements revised.
More information is available here.

On 10/03/2020, the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) published a report on climate and environmental schemes as part of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. According to IFOAM, eco-schemes have the potential to become an effective tool for greening and sustaining European agriculture, but adequate funding must be allowed to achieve their potential. IFOAM therefore proposes to allocate at least 70% of the total CAP envelope to environmental and climate action. The setting of eco-schemes will be the responsibility of the Member States, and IFOAM proposes to focus on promoting organic farming, "conservation" agriculture, or the protection and maintenance of High-Nature Value (HNV) farmland areas.
More information is available here.

The European Commission should publish the Farm to Fork Strategy at the end of March (25/03/2020 - 31/03/2020), but there is a risk of delays due to the spread of COVID-19 in Europe. The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, which is currently unable to meet, has also requested the postponement of the deadline for the submission of the Strategy. Recent information suggests that the Commission will seek to amend animal welfare legislation; it could also decide to review coupled support rules, which are very often criticized, particularly in the context of the promotion of meat and dairy products, for distorting the EU single market and heavy environmental and climate burdens. The European Commission could also support strengthening support to produce plant-based alternatives and reducing meat consumption. The opinion on the Farm to Fork strategy is also being prepared by the European Economic and Social Committee and should be finalized in April or May 2020.
The public consultation on Farm to Fork will be closed at midnight on 16/03/2020, consultation is available here. The European Commission also collects stakeholders' views on the possible introduction of the NutriScore labeling system in this consultation.