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Last week, representatives of the European Commission discussed the impact of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU on the EU post-2020 budget. According to some proposals, the College of Commissioners could provide additional support for the agricultural sector and small and medium-sized enterprises in the event of Hard Brexit. The financing of regions and the European research program should be the most affected; however, direct payments to farmers should be protected even in the case of Hard Brexit. The European Commission is ready to make available a number of existing market support and direct financial assistance measures for farmers to mitigate the worst impacts of Brexit on the agri-food sector.
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British farmers have asked UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson for a significant increase in tariffs on goods imported into the UK from other countries if the so-called Hard Brexit, i.e. the UK leaving the EU without an agreement, occurs. Already in March 2019, the British Government stated that it would raise customs duties on imports of beef to 53%, butter to 32%, and cheeses to 13% in the case of no-deal Brexit. However, the March opinion does not apply to other goods; therefore it is necessary, according to the British farmers representing NGO (NFU), to adjust the customs duties on eggs, some other dairy products, flowers and cereals, for which currently zero duties apply.
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The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, supported Poland's interest in obtaining the mandate of the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development. Poland nominated Jaroslaw Wojciechowski, who currently works as an auditor at the European Court of Auditors. Wojciechowski was a Member of the European Parliament for the Polish Party of Law and Justice in 2014-2016 and a member of the ECR faction in the European Parliament. From July 2014 to May 2016 he served as Vice-Chairman of the EP Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development. Given his work in Law and Justice, his acceptance as Commissioner Candidate by the European Parliament is expected to be difficult - in the past, the party has often been in conflict with the European institutions in the areas of law, migration or climate change. Support to Poland expressed by the President of the European Commission is disappointing for Bulgaria, seeking to obtain the mandate of the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development for their own candidate, Mariya Gabriel, the current Commissioner for the Digital Economy and Society.

Ministers of Agriculture of the EU Member States will meet on 24/09/2019 at the informal Council of Ministers held under the Finnish Presidency. Options of carbon storage in soil will be one of the key issues to be addressed - the Finnish Presidency is now considering whether to include carbon storage in the currently discussed reform of the CAP post 2020. Procedures that can promote soil carbon sequestration include, but are not limited to, agroforestry, replanting of forests, use of cover crops, or limitation of plowing. The Finnish Presidency summarizes a number of examples of good practice across the EU Member States in a document prepared for the purpose of the informal Council; great attention is paid to the options of agroforestry.

On 22/08/2019, Spain published information on the use of CAP funds. Between mid-October 2018 and the end of June 2019, EUR 2.7 billion was spent on direct income support, while another EUR 1.4 billion went to climate and environment friendly practices. In total, Spain spent EUR 5.2 billion on payments under the first pillar and EUR 1.4 billion on payments for rural development programs. Withdrawals within the first and second pillars exceeded the level of drawdown from the same reference period a year earlier; by the end of this October, additional aid amounting to up to 5% of funds drawn so far from the last reporting period could be disbursed.
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