Despite a degree of reticence from some, the member states will not oppose the measures simplifying the rules on the greening of direct aid proposed by the European Commission on Wednesday 15 February (see EUROPOE 11738).
The delegated act proposed seeks, in particular, to ban the use of plant health products on what are known as “productive” (mainly pulse crops) ecological focus areas. No qualified majority against the delegated act was achieved among the member state experts meeting in the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA) on 13 March. Only three countries were in outright opposition: Hungary, the Czech Republic and Latvia. Others (Denmark, Slovenia and Luxembourg, in particular) expressed doubts over the ban on pesticides but did not go as far as to vote against the proposal. Denmark intends, however, to have the issue discussed in the “other business” section of the next Agriculture Council in Luxembourg on 3 April. In a letter sent on 10 March to the members of the SCA, Copa and Cogeca (the farming and agri-cooperative organisations in the EU) call for the text to be opposed, arguing that the proposed measures will endanger “the future of the EU protein crop sector”.
The Council and the Parliament have two months (with possible extension by two further months) to accept or reject a delegated act as a whole. The European Parliament has yet to take its decision. Its agriculture committee could vote for an extension to the timescale for objection. However, in the event of the extension not being granted, a draft resolution calling for the delegated act to be rejected would be put to a vote in the chamber. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)