The European Commission was put under pressure, on Monday 13 June in Luxembourg, to propose extending the derogations from the cross-compliance rules for direct aid under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to the 2022/2023 marketing year, in the context of the war in Ukraine triggered by Russia.
At the EU Agriculture Council, 15 ministers welcomed the commitment of the Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, to convince the Commission to allow derogations also in 2023, in particular regarding the rules on crop rotation and the share of non-productive land (Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions, or GAEC, 7 and 8).
The aim would be to allow production on fallow or set-aside land for food security purposes.
“One of my tasks is to convince the College of Commissioners of this necessity”, the Commissioner insisted.
Asked about the effectiveness of the use of fallow land, which was allowed exceptionally in 2022, Janusz Wojciechowski said that this measure had been taken “in a hurry” and that its effects could not yet be assessed. “We talked about 4 million hectares of fallow land, I think it will be a little less”, he admitted. By deciding on a derogation for 2023 well in advance, “we can better assess the impact”, he stressed.
To compensate for the shortage of Russian and Ukrainian cereals, the Commission approved a temporary derogation from the rules on fallow land for the year 2022, authorising any crop intended for human and animal consumption, i.e. a potential additional 4 million hectares.
Under the current CAP, farms larger than 15 hectares must have at least 5% of ‘Ecological Focus Areas’ (grasslands, hedgerows, trees, fallow land) to receive EU funds. There will be a requirement for at least 4% of fallow land (uncultivated land) in the new CAP starting in January 2023, to enhance biodiversity and soil enrichment.
However, EU cereal crop volumes in 2022 “already look better than in 2021” and expected yields next year “should not be much lower”, stressed Janusz Wojciechowski, referring to a first estimate. This, he said, would strengthen the continent’s own food security while contributing to that of the world.
Furthermore, the Commission stressed that efforts are continuing to allow Ukraine to export grain in order to free up capacity for the next harvest, which is expected to be 40-50% smaller than last year’s. In the EU, the overall situation remains good, although unfavourable weather conditions are reducing production in some regions.
The high cost of agricultural inputs continues to worry ministers. They expressed concern about the availability of affordable fertiliser in the coming years.
Croatia referred to hailstorms that caused significant damage to some crops. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)