Earlier research is also reiterated, showing that not every consequence of new European policy can be calculated down to the last detail in advance, and that some future effects (cleaner environment, fewer diseases, healthier food) are not always expressible in monetary terms.
The Ministers of Agriculture requested additional research at the end of last year. The supplementary report emphasizes that reducing chemical agents in agriculture can go hand in hand with the introduction of new āgreenā (natural) alternatives. This offers the opportunity to reduce environmental impact while simultaneously continuing food production in a sustainable way.
Moreover, the report suggests that the implementation of the measure can take place in phases, giving the agricultural sector sufficient time to adapt to the new requirements.
An important finding in the note is that the degree of reduction in chemical agents can vary per EU country. This means that countries which have actively worked to limit chemical use in recent years may now potentially need to reduce less stringently. This differentiation acknowledges the existing efforts of certain EU countries and allows for flexibility within the policy.
Although the additional note on āchemicals in agricultureā has not yet been officially presented, āprogress in the dossierā is on the agenda for the EU Agriculture Ministers meeting next Tuesday. The official announcement was scheduled for no later than June 28, but doubts have recently emerged following statements from Climate Commissioner Frans Timmermans.
In response to protests in the European Parliament (from CDA, VVD, SGP, JA21, and FvD) against the proposed Nature Restoration Law, Timmermans pointed out that the Green Deal is a single package of food, agricultural, climate, and environmental policies, with these dossiers being inextricably linked.
That Nature Restoration Law will be discussed on Tuesday (June 20) by the Environment Ministers of the EU countries, and a week later (June 27) by the Environment Committee of the European Parliament. The European Commission also announced some relaxations on that proposal again last week, but there are still reservations within agricultural circles.
Earlier last week, another note from the European Commission leaked in Brussels concerning the impending relaxation of the use of gene techniques in agriculture and horticulture. Following earlier technical assessments by the ECHA Chemistry Committee and EFSA (food safety), the EU Commissioners would now like to permit the use of the so-called scissors technique CRISPR-Cas and similar breeding techniques. Agricultural organizations have been requesting this for quite some time.
According to observers in Brussels, the Commission, by āleakingā such previews, clearly indicates what else is in store for EU agriculture, but that this is linked to the complete Green Deal, including the Nature Restoration Law.