Agriculture ministers from several countries (Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia) requested on Monday 28 January in Brussels that the European Commission present an action plan to develop plant proteins.
The Commission presented the report on plant proteins (see EUROPE 12143), which was generally welcomed by delegations, which stressed the need to reduce the EU's dependence on soya imports in particular.
The countries mentioned presented a joint statement in which they considered that a European programme on plant proteins would reduce the EU's deficit in plant proteins and fertilisers, strengthen the EU's food sovereignty, contribute to the Paris International Climate Agreement and mitigate tropical deforestation.
The Commission is invited to work on a European action plan on proteins and to establish coherence between the different EU policies.
The three EU institutions are asked to take into account, in the negotiations on the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the need to: - to introduce a change in animal feeding practices (greater food autonomy at farm level); - to increase by all means possible the area under leguminous crops (sectoral programmes, voluntary coupled support, ecological programmes, agri-environmental systems and commitments).
In particular, France considered that strengthening support for this sector was an economic and geostrategic objective.
Agriculture ministers also called for additional resources for research and innovation on sustainable legume production.
During the debate in the Council, some delegations stressed the positive effect on the environment of the cultivation of protein plants. Others, such as Denmark, warned against the indirect environmental effects of importing vegetable proteins, for example, deforestation.
The room for manoeuvre left to Member States to define their future strategic plans for the CAP was welcomed by many.
Divergences on coupled support. Delegations expressed divergent views on voluntary coupled support to reduce the EU's deficit in plant protein. Germany, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands considered that coupled support distorted competition. Other countries (Italy, Estonia, France, Malta, Slovakia, Belgium...), on the contrary, considered that it was necessary to use these supports or increase flexibility to increase the possibilities of paying voluntary coupled support.
The development of plant proteins in Europe is one of the priorities of the Romanian Presidency of the Council.
The European Commissioner for Agriculture, Phil Hogan, pointed out that, under the current CAP, there is a possibility of granting an additional 2% for vegetable protein production (i.e. 15% for the maximum rate of coupled aid, compared to 13% in normal times).
In 2019, 16 Member States will provide support for protein crops through the optional coupled support. In the Commission's proposal for the post-2020 CAP, this 2% complement is maintained. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)