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Joachim Rukwied, President of the DBV, supported an adequate and stable budget for the CAP, while at the same time ensuring a strong first pillar of the CAP. According to Rukwied, direct payments under the first pillar should amount to at least 60% of the overall envelope for the CAP in order to provide farmers with a stable income. The German DBV also rejected capping and degressivity of direct payments. According to DBV, cross-compliance should be set so that criteria that are not related to setting of first or second pillar, it was removed. According to DBV, eco-schemes should represent 20% of the envelope for the first pillar; in the EU the percentage should be the same for all Member States in order to maintain competitiveness.
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The European Parliament adopted a motion for a resolution on the 15th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity during the EP plenary session on 16/01/2020. In its resolution, Parliament called on the Commission and Member States to support the setting of a new global target to reverse the decline of biodiversity at global level by 2030 or to combat desertification and soil degradation. According to Parliament, there should be a clear global objective by 2030 to conserve at least 30% of nature reserves and restore at least 30% of the ecosystems that are recoverable. Parliament also called on the Commission and the Council to set a clear target of spending on integrating the biodiversity theme into the Multiannual Financial Framework.
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The Italian police said on 15/01/2019 that it has uncovered the Sicilian mafia, which illegally received a total of € 5.5 million from EU agricultural funds. 94 people were arrested in connection with large-scale fraud. Mafia-related agricultural fraud is a long-standing problem for EU officials, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the Italian law enforcement authorities in a recent investigation have revealed a very sophisticated and extensive fraud system.
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On 13/01/2020, the Ukrainian government discussed a bill on land reform that would lift the ban on the sale of agricultural land in Ukraine for 29 years. However, the proposal has not been voted on because of the tabling of thousands of amendments. Currently, the Ukrainians can only own small land and cannot sell it. The proposed reform would make it possible to own up to 10,000 hectares of land and to sell them in the open market. The new rules should apply from 01/10/2020. Foreign investors would not be able to acquire the land yet, but this provision may be amended on the basis of a national referendum. The bill concerns land with a total area of 41.5 million hectares.
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On 14/01/2020, the European Commission launched a public consultation on the Guidelines on State aid measures in connection with the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) in 2021. In line with the European Green Deal, the draft EU State Aid Guidelines aims reducing the risk of carbon leakage associated with indirect costs of the ETS and incentives to modernize production processes. The existing guidelines will expire on 31 December 2020, therefore the rules for the next period from 01/01/2021 need to be revised. Consultation is available here, open until 10/03/2020, ETS Communication available here. Other open public consultations include the Consultation on Harmful Chemicals - Endocrine Disruptors for the Review of EU Rules, consultation is available here, to be opened by 09/03/2020; Consultation on the assessment of country of origin labelling, available here, will be open until 02/03/2020; Consultation on European climate change legislation - achieving climate neutrality by 2050, available here, will be open by 06/02/2020; and Consultation on the evaluation of EU food quality systems, available here, will be open by 17/01/2020.