The European Commission will present recommendations for each country on how the Green Deal strategy can be incorporated into their agricultural policy by mid-December. Such a National Strategic Plan (NSP) addresses both the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies, such as reducing pesticides or expanding organic farming.
Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski stated that there will be no more than fifteen specific recommendations per country. Furthermore, these are not guidelines or regulations. “The recommendations are part of the structured dialogue between the EU countries and the Commission, maintaining flexibility within the rules,” Wojciechowski explained.
The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture (DG AGRI) is preparing the recommendations for each member state, rather than the senior officials of Commissioners Stella Kyriakides and Frans Timmermans. However, the AGRI recommendations per country must also consider economic, ecological, and climate aspects.
Promotion
Last week, the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV), together with the Interprovincial Consultation (IPO), organized an online conference about the future Dutch implementation of the new European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
The conference focused on the choices that can be made to stimulate the sustainability of agriculture. For example, farmers who make an extra effort can be rewarded through eco-schemes. There is also a strong emphasis on knowledge and innovation. Besides topics like climate, air, soil, and biodiversity, sustainable water management is also an important element.
A working group is expected to draw up a draft version of the strategic plan by mid-year. This will specify how the Netherlands will implement the European CAP regulations.
The Dutch National Strategic Plan (CAP-NSP) will be submitted to the EU by the end of 2021. This is a year later than initially planned by LNV Minister Schouten. The reason is that decision-making on the CAP regulations, the EU budgets, and the multiannual financial framework has been delayed. Decisions on these will be finalized later this week at the EU summit.