In a letter sent to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Monday 12 June, more than 100 European civil society organisations called for both the continuation of the measures arising from the European Green Deal and an end to the derogations granted to Member States with regard to certain environmental requirements of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
The signatories point out that calls for further suspensions of CAP environmental measures (set-aside, crop rotation, eliminating the use of pesticides), “under the false pretext of the war in Ukraine, is at odds with a broad scientific consensus on the vital importance of halting the collapse of ecosystems for food production and the farmers of tomorrow”.
The organisations believe that, to ensure a sustainable future for Europe, a CAP consistent with the objectives of the ‘farm to fork’ and ‘biodiversity’ strategies arising from the European Green Deal is required.
The decision to suspend certain environmental requirements of the CAP was taken in 2022 and 2023 for food safety reasons. On the other hand, “it has been to the detriment of the environment and the sustainability of agriculture, since measures to protect pollinating insects and increase soil fertility have been removed”, deplore these organisations.
Link to the letter: https://aeur.eu/f/7ey (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)