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Agricultural organizations from nine European Union countries (HU, SK, CZ, PL, RO, BG, HR, EE, LT) called for further postponement of the implementation of the new rules of the Common Agricultural Policy by one year, due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. In a joint declaration signed by the organizations in Bratislava at the turn of March and April 2022, the signatories stressed that especially Ukraine's neighbours must deal with the effects of the war in Ukraine, and that the new CAP should be postponed for another year until January 2024. Countries have also called for further exemptions from environmental rules, such as a ban on plowing permanent grassland and the use of pesticides on legumes in the ecological focus areas. Representatives of the organizations also said that more money should be allocated from the EU budget to replenish the rural development fund and CAP investments and supported a temporary increase in VCS payments to 20%.
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The European Commission is in favour of the obligation to label the ingredients and nutrient content of alcoholic beverages. Commission would like to present the proposal by the end of 2022 and should present a proposal for health warnings on alcohol labels by the end of 2023. The proposal is one of the initiatives of the Europe's Beating Cancer Plan, published in February 2021. It is estimated that by the end of 2035, the number of cancer victims could increase by 24%, making cancer the leading cause of death in the EU.
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At the end of March, the European Commission sent the first 19 evaluation letters to the Member States, which submitted draft national strategic plans on or within ten days after the deadline (AT, HR, CY, DK, EE, FI, FR, EL, HU, IE, IT, LT, MT, NL, PL, PT, SI, ES, SE). On 04/04/2022, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Janusz Wojciechowski said that many of the plans assessed by the Commission so far needed to be worked on, and that their energy, environmental and climate ambitions would need to be increased. The initial assessment of the strategic plans was carried out in collaboration with all European Commission services, which revealed not only shortcomings in the field of climate and the environment, but also in addressing the needs of small and medium-sized agricultural enterprises.
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On 05/04/2022, the European Commission presented a proposal for a revision of the Industrial Emissions Directive as part of its 2050 climate neutrality plan. The revision is based on the overall concept of the current Industrial Emissions Directive, which currently covers around 50,000 large industrial facilities and intensive livestock farms in Europe. According to the Commission, the new rules will cover more relevant emission sources, streamline permits, reduce administrative costs, increase transparency, and strengthen support for breakthrough technologies and innovative approaches. An industrial emissions portal should also be set up, giving EU citizens access to data on licenses issued anywhere in Europe.
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On 04/04/2022, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Janusz Wojciechowski supported an increase in food production in Europe in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine. In his speech, the Commissioner assured that the European Union is not currently facing food security problems, but now it is not possible to predict how the situation will develop over the course of the year or in the near future. The Commissioner therefore said that it would be sensible to support European farmers in strengthening agricultural and food production if possible. Adjustments to national strategic plans or the cultivation of crops on fallow land could help increase production, and some countries also benefit from flexibility regarding import requirements for feed. According to the Commissioner, in view of the future, these measures may not be implemented only once for 2022.
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