On Monday 17 July, the EU’s agricultural organisations and cooperatives (Copa-Cogeca) called on the European Commission to take measures to remedy the problems encountered by European cereal producers, particularly as a result of the severe drought.
Copa-Cogeca wants the Commission to show flexibility in implementing the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) this year, “so as not to jeopardise farmers’ access to basic support”.
Exemptions have been requested for 2024 for the rules on good agricultural and environmental conditions (GAEC), namely GAEC 7 on crop rotation and GAEC 8 on the presence of elements and surfaces favourable to biodiversity, “due to the impact of these climatic conditions on the next marketing year”. Similarly, the extension of the suspension of import duties on ammonia and urea and its extension to other mineral fertilisers (as well as the suspension of anti-dumping measures on urea and ammonium nitrate) would help farmers to cope with a very difficult situation.
“In the space of two months, initially positive crop forecasts have been turned upside down by poor weather conditions in Europe”, according to Copa-Cogeca, which expects EU cereals production to reach 256 million tonnes in 2023, “possibly the worst harvest since 2007”. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)