The European Commission still has a large number of climate and environmental plans in preparation that it wants to push through the meeting and decision-making process before the election campaign begins. However, many EU countries and right-wing groups in the European Parliament are continuing their opposition to environmental impacts on the agricultural agenda.
Last Monday, the Agriculture and Food ministers again did not approve the SUR proposal to halve chemicals in agriculture. And the Nature Restoration Law also seems to be running into new hurdles in the European Parliament; the final decision has not yet been made there either.
Already in the first weeks of July it will become clear whether a number of important dossiers will still be postponed by the European Commission or if many agri-environmental clashes will loom in the coming year.
Although the Environment Committee of the European Parliament blocked the controversial Nature Restoration Plan last Tuesday, the outcome of the full vote (scheduled for July 10) still remains to be seen. Earlier, Dutch VVD MEP Jan Huitema said he expects that compromise texts will still be put to a vote.
Also, during the plenary July session, the previously reached compromise on stricter emission rules for livestock farming (RIE) still needs to be formally approved in Strasbourg.
Furthermore, the European Commission has announced that it intends to present new Green Deal proposals on July 5. If this goes ahead, among other things a soil biodiversity plan will be introduced. This will be a kind of “clean soil” regulation aimed at the return of “living earth.” Additionally, a possible relaxation of gene technology in agriculture and horticulture (crispr-cas) is expected.
The Commissioners also have other ongoing matters in preparation, such as updating animal welfare legislation (including restrictions on live animal transport, large farms, cage bans etc.). And not to be forgotten is a scheme for “carbon farming.” Climate Commissioner Frans Timmermans is also expected to want to finalize this before the next EU elections in 2024.
The Commissioners have previously said they do not intend to put their work on hold now that the campaign for the European elections (June 2024) will start this autumn. They still have a year and a half to go but will increasingly face pressure from EU politicians who want to promote and position themselves during campaign time.
Moreover, it remains to be seen whether Spanish Agriculture Minister Luis Planas (PSOE) will survive the early parliamentary elections (July 23). Planas would be an excellent candidate to navigate such difficult agricultural and environmental dossiers through the European decision-making process. There is a possibility that mid-way through the Spanish presidency the EU will have to deal with the interim arrival of a replacement from the conservative Partido Popular faction.