On Friday, 22 July, the European Commission proposed, in the context of the war in Ukraine provoked by Russia, arranging a temporary short-term derogation from the rules on crop rotation and maintenance of non-productive features on arable land (set-aside).
“[In] the short term, we simply cannot ignore the immediate benefits of keeping significant areas of our agricultural open land for production: every tonne of wheat that we export will help to address global hunger,” commented European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski.
The commissioner had shown himself to be in favour of this measure during the ‘Agriculture’ Council on 18 July (see EUROPE 12995/4).
This derogation—already planned for 2022 and thus renewed for 2023—will maximise the EU’s production capacity for cereals intended for food products. “It is estimated [that it will put] 1.5 million hectares [back] in production compared to today. Every tonne of cereals produced in the EU will help to increase food security worldwide,” explains the European Commission.
The European Commission’s proposal will be sent to EU Member States before it is formally adopted.
Given how important the good agricultural and environmental condition (GAEC) standards are for the objectives of preserving soil potential and improving biodiversity, the derogation is temporary. It only relates to claim year 2023 and is limited to what is strictly necessary to address global food security concerns. Consequently, it is not possible to plant crops that are usually used to feed animals (maize and soya).
The institution asserts that the European Commission’s proposal is the result of a careful balance between global food availability and affordability on the one hand and protection of biodiversity and soil quality on the other.
The European Commission promises that it remains fully committed to supporting the ‘European Green Deal’. The proposal provides that Member States making use of the derogations shall promote eco-schemes and agri-environmental measures programmed in their Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plans. “The long-term sustainability of our food system is fundamental for food security,” the European Commission insists.
The European Commission has already responded with several initiatives to address the food security concerns [that arose] after Russia instigated the war, including using the agricultural crisis reserve to alleviate difficulties faced by the most affected European farmers. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)