Countries that want to reduce their livestock numbers could apply for EU subsidies aimed at improving animal welfare. In the new eco-schemes for biodiversity and animal welfare, EU funds have been allocated to expand living space for animals, according to Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski.
Although his ‘observation letter’ on the submitted national strategic plans (NSPs) for the new agricultural policy was not formally on the agenda, Wojciechowski said that on Tuesday he had bilateral talks with at least five ministers. He made these remarks in response to questions from reporters after the Agriculture and Food ministers’ meeting held last Tuesday in Brussels.
The Agriculture Commissioner did not specify which ministers he spoke with informally, but earlier national media reports have made it clear that his ‘recommendations’ were not well received in agricultural circles, especially in Germany, Sweden, France, Poland, and Spain.
Dutch Minister Henk Staghouwer told Dutch reporters afterwards that the NSPs were not on the agenda and were not discussed. He emphasized that the Netherlands supports the European Commission’s current course for the Green Deal and CAP.
Wojciechowski pointed out afterwards that many of the submitted NSPs were handed in before the outbreak of the Russian war against Ukraine, and that the food situation is now very different. Moreover, rising costs are creating a need for updating and adjustment. This applies not just to some countries but to all 27, he noted.
In its assessment letter, the European Commission not only calls for more specific environmental and climate goals of the Green Deal to be included in their strategic plans. Brussels also urges research into options for reducing agriculture’s dependence on Russian energy and fertilizer.
Moreover, for all countries, this is the first time they have to work with the new system of ‘national implementation of Europe-wide rules’. Additionally, some countries’ NSPs were submitted by former ministers and now-defunct governments. This is the case, for example, in Germany. The new minister Cem Özdemir ‘welcomed’ the Brussels recommendations for tightening measures.