After a four-day marathon vote, the European Parliament adopted its position on Friday 23 October, which significantly changes the original proposals on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post-2020.
Many voices have certainly been raised against these texts, with the Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL Groups voting overwhelmingly against them, as well as some MEPs from other groups. But the European Parliament still managed to find compromises to offer more support to farmers using climate and environmentally-friendly practices (see EUROPE 12587/2, EUROPE 12586/15), to cap annual direct payments at €100,000, or to help farmers cope with crises as well.
The new CAP should enter into force at the beginning of 2023, after a two-year transitional period. The European Parliament and the EU Council, which painfully adopted its position on this dossier (see EUROPE 12586/7), still have to negotiate a final agreement by next spring.
The regulation on strategic plans, for which the rapporteur is Peter Jahr (EPP, Germany), was approved with 425 votes in favour, 212 against and 51 abstentions. The report by Eric Andrieu (S&D, France) on the common market organisation (CMO) was approved with 463 votes in favour, 133 against and 92 abstentions. The regulation on the financing, management and monitoring of the CAP, report by Ulrike Müller, was approved with 434 votes in favour, 185 against and 69 abstentions.
MEPs voted to allocate 35% of the rural development budget to all kinds of environmental and climate-related measures. At least 30% of the direct payments budget are expected to be devoted to ecological programmes (eco-schemes).
“The terrible CAP proposal is validated”, said Benoît Biteau (Greens/EFA, France). “What the conservatives, socialists and liberals voted for shows a total denial of the reality of the state of our ecosystems”, said Martin Häusling (Greens/EFA, Germany).
“Those who, during this process, called for the postponement of the reform have been irresponsible. It would have meant losing three or four years”, retorted the president of the Renew Europe group and former European Commissioner for Agriculture, Romania’s Dacian Cioloș. A review is planned for 2025, to continue to modernise the policy step by step, he said.
“We have adopted a solution that will protect both farmers and the environment in the future”, said the EPP’s Group spokesman for Agriculture, Herbert Dorfmann (Italy). According to Anne Sander (EPP, France), the reform combines economic and social development with environmental and climate sustainability.
Pascal Canfin (Renew Europe, France) said that the European Parliament vote brings a real change to the current EU agricultural policy: “The CAP will have to be consistent with the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal. Almost 100 billion euros will be devoted to the transformation of our agriculture”.
Paolo De Castro (S&D, Italy) said: “We fought to reopen the dossier and move from the Commission’s original proposal to a new comprehensive reform capable of safeguarding the social, economic and environmental sustainability of the sector”.
Éric Andrieu, who voted against the report on strategic plans, welcomed the outcome of the vote on his report: “Putting in place effective mechanisms to prevent and better manage agricultural crises was an imperative”.
Denominations. In the ‘Andrieu’ report, the European Parliament rejected (284 votes in favour, 379 against and 27 abstentions) an amendment, which was however validated in the Committee on Agriculture which banned the use in the EU of names such as ‘sausages, ‘hamburgers, ‘fillets’ or ‘escalopes’ for vegetable or cereal-based products that do not contain animal meat but imitate its texture.
However, MEPs adopted (386 votes in favour, 290 against and 16 abstentions) another amendment banning the designations ‘yoghurt’, ‘cheese’ or ‘cream’ for products without animal milk. Exceptions are long-established expressions such as almond milk, coconut milk or cocoa butter.
Wine. “The wine sector is undoubtedly one of the great winners of the reports adopted on CAP reform”, said Irene Tolleret (Renew Europe, France).
The system of authorisations for planting vines, in place until 2030, would be extended until 2050, according to the European Parliament. The EU Council has set a target to continue until 2040. “I hope that the two institutions will agree to find an intermediate date as a compromise”, Ms Tolleret said. The co-president of the wine intergroup in the European Parliament also welcomed the maintenance of aid for wine promotion and even the extension of the actions currently being carried out to “consolidate” the markets.
In addition, the interventions provided for in the support programmes for the sector have been extended to include new actions for the protection of the environment and the fight against climate change. The programmes will have to devote at least 5% of European funds to this type of measure. Ms Tolleret said she would have liked a more ambitious percentage.
Mr Andrieu welcomed the recognition of practices aimed at lowering the alcohol concentration of wines below 8.5%. The energy value of wines will be specified on labelling and the list of ingredients will be made more widely known to consumers. All products with a protected designation of origin will be able to collectively adapt their production to demand.
Lastly, Stéphane Bijoux (Renew Europe, France) welcomed the adoption (463 votes in favour, 133 against and 92 abstentions) of the amendment in favour of maintaining the budget of the POSEI programme for the EU’s outermost regions.
Greenpeace, on the other hand, claims that the text does not contain any improvements. “The MEPs ignored the growing pressure from NGOs and young climate activists who asked them to vote against this policy, which is a death sentence for small farms and nature”, said the environmentalist organisation. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)