On Monday 8 June, the European agriculture ministers will hold a debate by videoconference on the measures provided for in the 'biodiversity' and 'farm to fork' strategies. Even if, according to the European Commission, the proposals on the table for the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) do not need to be changed, these strategies will have an influence on how future national strategic plans on the CAP will be implemented.
EU agriculture ministers will meet again by videoconference on 8 June, this time to take stock of the agricultural aspects of the European Green Deal, in particular the strategies presented by the European Commission at the end of May.
On 2 June, the Croatian Presidency of the EU Council made public a "draft suggestion" on the regulation on strategic plans for the future CAP.
However, even though the Commission believes that its proposal on the post-2020 CAP is perfectly compatible, bar a few details, with the 'farm to fork' and 'biodiversity' strategies, it is still very likely that these will have some influence on the negotiations. These negotiations can only get to the heart of the matter once an agreement has been reached on the future EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2021-2027.
In an exchange of views on 4 June with MEPs on the European Parliament Environment Committee on the issue of greening the CAP strategic plans, EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski said he was "aware that the implementation of these two strategies will not be easy, especially for some Member States and some sectors, as there are great disparities across the EU" (see EUROPE 12499/17). He added that it would be necessary to "keep in mind the objectives of food security and the competitiveness of our agriculture".
The Commissioner said: "We will have discussions with Member States that use too many antibiotics or too many pesticides per hectare. There will be difficult negotiations, but we will ensure that they make the necessary efforts. And if shortcomings are identified in our mid-term evaluations, it will be possible to adapt the national plans".
On the first pillar eco-schemes, Janusz Wojciechowski said he was in favour of an open list of measures that would show farmers who opt for these programmes that they would receive more money from the CAP. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)