An agreement has been reached in the EU on a major reform of the European Common Agricultural Policy. From now on, agricultural production will be much more tailored to the conditions in each EU country separately. However, they must then achieve far more environmental and climate improvements.
National governments must from now on draw up ânational strategic plansâ that require approval from the European Commission. Each country must indicate in these how they intend to implement the EU objectives of the Green Deal and the Climate Agreement. The Commission will monitor their performance and compliance with EU rules.
This gives the European Commission better insight, control, and âco-governanceâ per country over issues such as biodiversity, food safety, animal welfare, air pollution, and soil contamination. When assessing the national strategic plans, the European Commission will also verify whether these plans contribute to the Farm to Fork strategy.
The long-standing CAP agricultural subsidies will be converted for 25% from general income support (per hectare) to targeted âgreenâ subsidies for various environmentally friendly agricultural practices. At the insistence of the 27 Ministers of Agriculture, there will be a two-year âimplementation periodâ (2023 and 2024) during which unused âenvironmental premiumsâ will still be available to farmers.
Moreover, over the coming years, financial support for the agricultural sector will be shifted from large intensive farming and agro-industry to small and medium-sized farmers. Therefore, 10 percent of all national agricultural subsidies will now be earmarked for young farmers and small family businesses.
The organization of these trilogue negotiations in Brussels was adjusted after the failed earlier talks in May. The 27 EU Agriculture Ministers will now meet only next Monday in Luxembourg and did not meet simultaneously with the trilogue this time. They can only approve or reject the result afterward and cannot interfere in detail themselves.
âFortunately, there is finally a CAP agreement,â responded Member of the European Parliament Annie Schreijer-Pierik (CDA). According to her, there is a heavy responsibility on the Ministry of Agriculture in The Hague and the provinces to draw up sufficiently accessible eco-schemes and then make them financially more attractive for farmers by linking additional (national) performance rewards.
Dutch MEP Jan Huitema (VVD, Renew Europe) called this agreement an important step towards a modern agricultural policy. âCurrent policy that prescribes from above how farmers should 'green' has proven ineffective. It is much better to directly link money for greening to the greening performance of the farmer and horticulturist. The greater the performance, the higher the compensation,â Huitema said.
Not only environmental organizations such as Greenpeace and Greta Thunbergâs climate youth but also the Greens find the now presented CAP compromise far too weak and unacceptable. They believe agriculture must stop using chemical herbicides and growth promoters. âAs the deal stands, we will not agree to it,â said Vice-Faction Leader Bas Eickhout. He announced an EU-wide campaign against what he called âgreenwashing.â
âIn 2019, European voters voted for a climate-friendly, green change. Ursula von der Leyen and her commissioners then spoke big words about a European Green Deal. But now they simply agree to a completely outdated European agricultural policy.
The EU still supports intensive industrial-scale livestock farming. It will still encourage farmers to use synthetic pesticides. It will still fill the pockets of multinationals and large landowners, while small-scale farmers and farming families are pushed aside,â said the GroenLinks member.