At the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on Monday 9 December, the European Commission expressed its confidence that new proposals on the Common Market Organisation (CMO) and unfair trading practices would be published on Tuesday 10 December, subject to approval by the college of Commissioners.
The European Commission is considering measures to make it easier for producers to join producer organisations, to strengthen the position of producers in negotiating product supply contracts, and to improve price transmission. New rules will also be proposed on the cross-border application of measures to combat unfair commercial practices (see EUROPE 13517/2).
The European Commission will also finalise its work on raising the de minimis threshold for aid to the agricultural sector (see EUROPE 13488/2).
Biogas. Finland noted the usefulness of biogas production (https://aeur.eu/f/eq7 ). The production of sustainable bioenergy on farms “is part of my vision to create alternative sources of income for farmers, ensuring greater circularity of agricultural biomass and nutrients, and reducing emissions” from agriculture, replied the Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) supports practices aimed at ensuring the more efficient use of fertilisers, including replacing mineral fertilisers with organic fertilisers, he added. In order to facilitate this substitution, Member States are currently discussing a proposal to allow the use of recycled manure (RENURE products) above the limit of 170 kg/ha in nitrate-vulnerable zones, according to the Commission. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)