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The Ministers of Agriculture of the EU Member States will meet on 18/11/2019 at the Council of Ministers in Brussels. Ministers will discuss in particular the state of play of the CAP reform after 2020. Under this point, they will address the environmental and climate aspects of the reform and the regulation on transitional CAP provisions. On other issues, ministers will exchange views on the current situation in the beekeeping sector, the difficulties in importing rice from Myanmar and the excessive import of maize from Ukraine. Last but not least, ministers will listen to the Commission's information on the EU-China trade agreement.

Under its Presidency, Finland submitted a new proposal last week on the allocation of CAP funds to climate and environmental protection measures. In its proposals, the European Commission seeks to allocate 30% of the envelope for the second pillar - rural development programs - to protect the environment and climate, and, according to the Commission, 40% of funding should be earmarked for environmental and climate protection, according to the Commission. However, the Finnish Presidency proposes in its latest document not to allocate environmental and climate protection measures within the individual pillars, but only collectively from the whole envelope of the Member State for the CAP - it should be a single common percentage of the total CAP budget for each EU Member State. Finland does not propose a specific share of the envelope to be allocated to these measures; the share decision should be taken after the approval of the Multiannual Financial Framework (EU budget) for the period after 2020. However, the European Commission disagrees with the Finnish Presidency's approach the proposal could jeopardize efforts to strengthen the ambitions of the environment and climate protection. In its proposals, the European Commission also includes mandatory measures, including agroforestry, organic farming or animal welfare, in environmental and climate measures. On the contrary, the Finnish Presidency states in the document that a single common percentage should include eco-schemes, investment, consultancy and knowledge exchange on environmental and climate areas. Interventions proposed by Finland as beneficial for the environment and climate should also include compensation for areas with natural constraints (ANC), which has been criticized by environmental NGOs, including BirdLife Europe. According to the European Commission, the Finnish approach will make it impossible to predict the results of the measures taken in advance; removing the requirement to include certain measures could reduce environmental ambitions. According to the Finnish Presidency, on the other hand, removing the obligation requirement will increase Member States' flexibility, but the resulting allocation of climate and environmental measures from the CAP envelope should be binding on Member States. As both pillars of the CAP should fall under one national Strategic Plan, Finland has no reason to set environmental and climate targets for the pillars separately. According to Finland, the proposal is still in the process of being negotiated; the idea has so far been supported by about 10 EU Member States. The current position of the EP Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development supports the allocation of 30% of the envelope for rural development and 20% of the envelope for direct payments for environmental and climate protection, EP Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety proposes 30% of the envelope for rural development as well as 30% of the envelope for direct payments.

Last week, the European Committee of the Regions (ERC) called on the European Commission to implement measures under the new post-2020 CAP that take into account the specific requirements of rural areas, and the Commission should also ensure adequate funding for rural areas through the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI). Rural areas, mountain areas and remote areas should be at the centre of the reformed CAP and cohesion policy after 2020, according to the ERC. German MEP Ulrike Müller (Renew Europe) also participated in the conference to support sufficient budget, infrastructure development and Internet availability connecting in rural areas, generational changeover or strengthening support for small and medium-sized farmers.

The circular economy should be a key priority of the forthcoming European Green Agreement of the new European Commission. The main points of the 2015 circular management action plan were the ban on disposable plastic products and the requirement for recyclability of at least 70% of packaging material, including a reduction of 55% of the plastic volume. The European Commission is now preparing a new action plan focusing on climate and reducing carbon emissions to zero by 2050. In October, EU Member States adopted Council conclusions on the circular economy, including planned future requirements, calling on the Commission to take action in sectors not yet affected by regulation, such as the textile, transport, food and construction sectors. The draft European Green Agreement should be presented within 100 days of the launch of the new European Commission.
More information is available here.

The European Commission was due to start after the takeover of the mandates on 01/11/2019, but after the rejection of three candidates from France, Hungary and Romania during the October public hearings, the takeover of the mandates was postponed until 01/12/2019. In recent weeks, states have introduced new candidates; the Internal Market Commissioner should become French candidate Thierry Breton, the Transport Commissioner Romanian candidate Adina Vălean, and the Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Hungarian candidate Olivér Várhelyi. Public hearings in the relevant Committees of the European Parliament took place on 14/11/2019, EP committees approved candidates from France and Romania, the Hungarian candidate has not yet been approved, additional written questions from MEPs will have to answer. The European Commission also sent a formal letter to the United Kingdom, which, according to the Commission, breached the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union by not proposing its own Commissioner-designate. United Kingdom should submit its opinion by 22/11/2019.
More information is available here and here.