The Farm to Fork strategy and the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will help European farmers to produce in a more sustainable way, EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski said on Thursday 4 June in a debate with members of the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI).
Stressing that farmers “will play a key role” in achieving “fairer, healthier and environmentally-friendly food systems” the Commissioner called on them to continue their efforts to produce more sustainably.
While some MEPs felt that the European Commission’s approach is not binding enough to reduce intensive farming, the Commissioner repeatedly defended the carrot rather than stick approach.
In his view, it is more effective to provide incentives to encourage farmers to move increasingly towards organic farming and animal welfare-friendly husbandry methods, rather than imposing certain measures on them.
“The targets should not be about prescribing what farmers must do, but about creating an environmentally-friendly, fairer and high-quality regulatory framework that will not increase red tape”, he said.
Furthermore, in order to reassure MEPs that the CAP reform proposal is in line with the European Green Deal, Mr Wojciechowski recalled the conclusions of a Commission report published on 20 May at the request of Parliament, in parallel with the presentation of the Farm to Fork (see EUROPE 12491/3) and biodiversity (see EUROPE 12491/2) strategies.
According to this report, the CAP reform proposal is compatible with the Green Deal. Nevertheless, “the capacity of the future CAP to accommodate the Green Deal’s ambitions depends on various aspects”, the document adds, mentioning in particular the need for an appropriate share of the EU budget to be devoted to each pillar of agricultural policy.
On this point, the Commissioner again welcomed the amounts foreseen for the CAP in the revised draft Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027 (see EUROPE 12497/4).
The report also recommends certain improvements to the CAP reform proposal during the legislative process. These improvements include the introduction of additional guidance on farming practices that could be supported by the eco-schemes.
Finally, the Commission should develop additional actions in parallel with the CAP review, the document stresses. The report mentions in particular the implementation of a structured dialogue with the Member States for the preparation of their CAP strategic plans, providing countries with recommendations and inviting them to take into account the new quantified objectives of the Green Deal in these national strategic plans.
To consult the Commission’s report: https://bit.ly/3eRCAaK (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)