The next Agriculture Council, on 11-12 October in Luxembourg, will discuss the agricultural and forestry aspects of the ‘Fit for 55’ climate package (see EUROPE 12762/1).
According to a note from the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council, three texts in the package announced last July concern agriculture and forestry: the proposal for a revision of the current legislation on land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF), the proposal for a regulation on effort sharing, and the proposal for a directive on renewable energy.
The Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council points out that agriculture was responsible for 12% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2018, but also recalls its carbon absorption potential. “Emissions from European agriculture decreased between 1990 and 2010 and have stagnated in recent years”, the note said.
The EU Agriculture Ministers are being asked about the European Commission’s intent to bring the entire agricultural and forestry sector together in a single instrument, with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality of soils by 2035.
The ministers are also expected to decide on the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 for agriculture.
Link to the Slovenian EU Council Presidency note: https://bit.ly/3olZgrM (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)