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On 11/04/2024, during its plenary session, the European Parliament approved the use of the emergency procedure to speed up the adoption of the European Commission's package to simplify certain rules of the Common Agricultural Policy in order to reduce the burden on farmers. The European Commission presented the package of proposals on 15/03/2024 in response to protests from European farmers, the measures would cover, among other things, the implementation of GAEC rules. This is a proposal for a major change, the proposal would normally be subject to several months of discussion. However, in this case, the request to use the emergency procedure is the only way to put these new proposals into practice as quickly as possible, given the forthcoming European elections. The European Parliament approved the proposal to use the emergency procedure by 432 votes to 155, with 13 abstentions. The amendments (the Council's consolidated position on the Commission's proposal, which are more linguistic in nature) were voted on by the European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (COMAGRI) on 15/04/2024 and approved. However, on 17/04/2024, some MEPs from the Green and S&D political groups tabled more than 30 amendments which go beyond the consolidated text from the Council. MEPs Martin Häusling (Greens), Bas Eickhout (Greens) and Mohammed Chahim (S&D) have also tabled proposals to the plenary on the compulsory degressivity of direct payments, which they propose should be reduced by 100% for amounts above €100,000. The proposals will be voted on by the plenary of the European Parliament next week, probably on 25/04/2024.

On 11/04/2024, the European Parliament approved the use of the emergency procedure to speed up the adoption of the European Commission's package to simplify certain rules of the Common Agricultural Policy in order to reduce the burden on farmers. The European Commission presented the package of proposals on 15/03/2024 in response to protests by European farmers, the measures would cover, among other things, the implementation of the rules of the CAP. This is a proposal for a major change, the proposal would normally be subject to several months of discussion. However, in this case, the request to use the emergency procedure is the only way to put these new proposals into practice as quickly as possible in ASSOCIATION FOR INNOVATIVE FARMING 6, PLACE SCHUMAN 1000 BRUSSELS, BELGIUM WWW.AIFEU.ORG, OFFICE(AT)AIFEU.ORG view of the forthcoming European elections. The European Parliament approved the proposal to use the emergency procedure by 432 votes to 155, with 13 abstentions. The amendments (the Council's consolidated position on the Commission's proposal, which are more linguistic in nature) should now be voted on by the European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (COMAGRI) on 15/04/2024, followed by a vote by the European Parliament's plenary on 22-25/04/2024.

At the end of last month, Belgian Agriculture Minister David Clarinval confirmed Belgium's readiness to present to the next European Commission "Conclusions on the future of the CAP". The document could be discussed at the forthcoming Agriculture Council on 29/04/2024. During the Council, a strategic dialogue on the future of European agriculture and food will also be discussed, and Clarinval said the two documents should be finalised in parallel. According to the Belgian Minister, strategic autonomy and food sovereignty should become the basis of the future CAP, and the European Green Deal should be updated, as it was presented before the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Clarinval also stressed the need to carry out impact studies before publishing his own legislative proposals. Agriculture should be seen as a strategic and key activity in the European Union's growth strategy, just like energy or industry. It should not be seen only as part of the Green Deal. Greater emphasis should be placed on research, innovation and new technologies.

On 08/04/2024, the European institutions (Parliament, Council, Commission) discussed in trialogue the issue of trade liberalisation measures with Ukraine, focusing in particular on the compromise negotiated in the Council by the Belgian Presidency (see European news story of 07/04/2024). The European institutions eventually agreed to support the Belgian compromise - thus extending the temporary suspension of tariffs and quotas for Ukraine until June 2025, strengthening safeguards to protect EU farmers and introducing an emergency brake for sensitive commodities with a longer reference period. Poultry, sugar, eggs, oats, groats, maize and honey were among the most sensitive commodities after Monday's trilogue. Thus, the institutions did not support the inclusion of wheat among the most sensitive commodities. Negotiators agreed to extend the reference period used as the basis for triggering the automatic emergency brake on imports of the most sensitive commodities, meaning that if imports of these products exceed the average import volumes recorded in the second half of 2021 and throughout 2022 and 2023, tariffs on these commodities will be reimposed. The time limit for triggering this measure has been reduced from 21 days to 14 days. The European Commission is committed to intensify its monitoring of imports of grain, in particular wheat, and to use the tools at its disposal in the event of market disturbances.

The European Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) has produced guidelines to clarify the concept of "force majeure" and other exceptional circumstances, including how to recognise entire areas as affected by force majeure in the event of a major natural disaster or severe weather event. According to DG AGRI, the concept of force majeure should be properly interpreted and applied in accordance with the law, and DG AGRI has therefore drawn up guidelines to clarify the concept of force majeure in order to assist Member States in the application of Union law. However, according to DG AGRI, the final interpretation of the applicable law will be left to the European Court of Justice. According to DG AGRI, the application of the principle of force majeure is a matter for the Member State to decide, and the decision should be taken by the competent authorities on the basis of the relevant evidence. According to DG AGRI, the decision on whether a situation is recognised as a case of force majeure is normally taken on a case-by-case basis. Regulation 2021/2116 on the financing, management and monitoring of the Common Agricultural Policy and repealing Regulation (EU) states that in order to harmonise Member States' practices in the uniform application of the force majeure provisions, this Regulation should allow for exceptions to CAP rules in case of force majeure and exceptional circumstances where appropriate, as well as provide for an indicative list of possible cases of force majeure and exceptional circumstances to be recognised by national competent authorities. The national competent authorities should take decisions on force majeure or exceptional circumstances on a case-by-case basis on the basis of the relevant evidence. Furthermore, the Regulation should provide for exemptions from the CAP rules in cases of force majeure and exceptional circumstances, such as serious meteorological phenomena which significantly affect the beneficiary's holding to an extent comparable to a major natural disaster. For the purposes of the financing, management and monitoring of the CAP, force majeure and exceptional circumstances may be recognised in particular where there has been a major natural disaster or meteorological event seriously affecting the holding; where there has been accidental destruction of livestock buildings on the holding; where there has been an epizootic, an outbreak of a plant disease or a plant pest which has resulted in part or all of the farmer's livestock or crops being affected; where the whole or a large part of the holding has been expropriated, where such expropriation could not have been foreseen at the date of submission of the application; where the beneficiary has died or has been unable to work for a long period. Member States should, inter alia, ensure that no penalties are imposed in these cases.
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