All the hottest topics in the EU’s agricultural policy are increasingly being preliminarily discussed by the European Commission and the EU Council of ministers, making the legislative process more of a couple (or CAPple) issue.
When I interviewed the former EU agriculture commissioner Phil Hogan in March 2019 – only nine months after the unveiling of the Commission’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) proposal – the elephant in the room was the risk of re-nationalisation of the EU’s farming subsidies programme.
However, he told me that, although member states would have been given far more flexibility in the implementation of the CAP, the whole policy would have been maintained at the EU level.
Basically, the ‘C’ in the CAP acronym, the ‘Common’ dimension, was not at risk as the Commission would have continued to watch over the implementation of national plans.
And this is what it’s currently happening during the adoption process of the CAP national strategic plans, through which member states will set out an individualised action plan of how they intend to meet the nine objectives of the new CAP reform.
This week, the EU’s agriculture chief Janusz Wojciechowski confirmed that the EU executive will launch the official approval process for five member states, meaning that the first adoption decisions will fall in early September.
What was not foreseen is that this process of national strategic plans would have further reinforced the already quite strong ties between the Commission and the EU capitals.
Maybe even too much.
For the avoidance of doubts, member states have always had a very strong role in agricultural issues, also considering that the birth of the CAP programme pre-dates the granting of legislative powers to the European Parliament.
But if the EU ministers and MEPs are on an equal footing after the Lisbon Treaty once the legislative initiative is presented, the EU Council might have found a way to present its views even before the Commission’s proposal.
A solid example comes from the newly proposed EU pesticide rules unveiled exactly one month ago.
It sounded surprising when a Commission official confirmed they considered including more flexibility in the proposal following a discussion with some member states concerned about how the targets might be set.
The EU executive decided then to take into consideration the path that certain countries have already made on pesticide reduction – exactly what EU agriculture ministers wanted – introducing the concept of historical progress in reducing pesticides and the intensity of the use of pesticides.
That means that the Council had the possibility to influence the legislative process even before the proposal was actually presented.
Meanwhile, the Parliament had no chance to even discuss, let alone influence the issue until the unveiling of the proposal.
Was it worth it, one could ask? Not really, since ministers bashed the Commission’s methodology for the calculation of the target reduction anyway at the first Agrifish Council after the presentation of the proposal on Monday (18 July)
Another similar trend can be found in the ongoing discussions on postponing the implementation of the new requirements for crop rotation and fallow lands.
This is a highly contentious issue, with farmers’ associations and member states arguing this is needed to increase EU food production, while others warn that, in the context of the climate crisis, the EU cannot afford to sacrifice the environment on the altar of food security.
The Agriculture Commissioner has already communicated he is in favour of extending such derogations to next year, while EURACTIV understands that the office of Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans does not seem particularly convinced by Wojciechowski’s arguments.
Once again, the Commission has put forward its proposal this afternoon (22 July) – literally a few minutes ago – and the ministers had already the possibility to express their views on the matter in June behind closed doors and in July in a public session.
Not surprisingly, the Parliament has had no dedicated exchange with the Commission on that, apart from a letter sent by the majority group leader in May.
The structured dialogue between the Commission and the member stated favoured by the implementation of the new CAP, although highly welcomed, can encourage a sort of preventive action of the EU Council on the legislative process which is also quite uncommon.
Both the EU lawmakers – the European Parliament and the Council – are tasked with amending a Commission’s proposal, once it is presented. Having the possibility to influence the process before that stage can create an unbalance.
The new structure of the CAP has brought the EU executive and the EU Council closer, eventually becoming a CAPple.
But this is a potential harbinger of a progressive emargination of MEPs, putting the willingness of the EU capitals at the centre of the EU legislative process, which can be looked at as a way to overlook the Common component of the policy, the C in the CAP acronym.
By Gerardo Fortuna
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Agri stories this week
Member states push to further loosen CAP environmental measures for 2023
The majority of EU agriculture ministers have confirmed the push for further flexibility on environmental measures in the EU’s farming subsidy programme in a bid to increase production and plug the gap left by the Ukraine war. Natasha Foote has more.
Severe drought could cancel out gains in EU food production
Just under half of the EU’s territory is at risk of severe and prolonged drought, according to a new European Commission report, coming amid warnings this unprecedented heatwave may negate gains in food production supposed to help plug the gap left by the Ukraine war. Learn more.
Moldova gets temporary trade liberalisation with the EU for seven foodstuffs
EU ministers gave the final go-ahead to the regulation allowing Moldova to at least double their exports to the EU of tomatoes, garlic, table grapes, apples, cherries, plums, and grape juice for a period of one year without any duties. Yaroslava Bukhta has the details.
EU environment chief: Healthy ecosystems key to food security as climate heats up
Creating healthy and sustainable ecosystems in Europe is key to ensuring food security, as heatwaves worsen and Russia blocks grain exports out of Ukraine, the environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius told EURACTIV.
Podcast
This week, EURACTIV’s agrifood team discusses the long-awaited outcome of the European Court of Justice’s ruling on feta cheese, which sets a precedent for the protection of geographical indications outside the EU’s borders, and we take a look at the latest on the glyphosate debate as well as the crucial EU reform on agricultural statistics. We are also joined by Stelios Arhondakis, CEO at BioCoS, a company developing an olive oil anti-fraud tool, and we explore a mystery Game of Thrones-themed flavour of the week.
Agri-bites
Temporary suspension of tariffs on fertilisers. Faced with a tense situation in the fertiliser markets, the European Commission’s DG Trade has taken a long-awaited decision by the farming community: the suspension of conventional tariffs for certain fertilisers, including urea and anhydrous ammonia. The move was welcomed by the EU farmers’ association COPA-COGECA, but called on the Commission to “follow its logic to the end” by also suspending conventional duties on key fertilisers used directly by farmers and anti-dumping measures on UAN imports from Trinidad and Tobago and USA. “Only such an ambitious measure could make those markets more dynamic and bring down the prices paid by farmers in the long term,” the association said in a statement.
Closer ties with China? EU trade commissioner Valdis Dombrovksis and Chinese vice premier Liu He agreed to “strengthen communication and coordination of macroeconomic policies, increase cooperation in global food and energy security and other fields, and jointly promote global economic and financial stability” in virtual talks Tuesday (20 July), China said in a readout. The EU froze a China investment pact last year in a dispute on sanctions and human rights, but this was not mentioned.
Food sector green lights EU’s new gas-saving initiative. Agri-food chain associations Copa-Cogeca, the Primary Food Processors (PFP) and FoodDrinkEurope have backed the European Commission’s “save gas for a safe winter” proposal, published Wednesday (20 July), which singles out the critical importance of Europe’s food supply chain and the need for a secure supply of gas to maintain food security. The associations urged member states to listen to the Commission’s recommendation that they recognise the agri-food chain as a critical sector in their national emergency plans in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “Any disruption to the gas supply would impact the availability of agricultural commodities and prevent food and feed manufacturers from operating at full capacity,” a joint statement warns.
Have your say. EFSA has launched a public consultation on its draft guidance document on the risk assessment of plant protection products and bees, covering honey bees, bumble bees and solitary bees. The consultation will run for 12 weeks to allow for maximum participation among interested parties. The deadline for comments is 3 October 2022.
Scheme to deal with Brexit fallout approved. The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a €155 million Dutch scheme to support the fishery sector affected by the effects of the withdrawal of the UK from the EU. The aim of the scheme is to incentivise vessel owners to cease commercial fishing activities by scrapping their vessels. Learn more.
Finalists announced for first annual EU organic awards. This week, the European Commission announced the list of finalists for the first-ever annual EU organic awards, launched as part of a commitment made in the action plan for the development of organic production to recognise excellence all along the organic food chain, from farmer to restaurant. The winners of the eight awards will be announced at the official awards ceremony in Brussels on 23 September, as one of a range of events and activities to mark the annual EU organic day.
Farming4Future video series. “My cows, my countryside, my farm. It’s all the work of my great grand-parents, my grand-parents, my parents. I grew up on the farm. It’s my life. I really want to farm. So give me the opportunity to do so”. Check out this video from the EU young farmers association CEJA, part of a #Farming4Future series of voices that tell the story of more than two million young farmers across Europe.
Ukraine corner
Grain diplomacy in Istanbul. A deal to allow Ukraine to resume exports of grain from their seaports was signed in Istanbul on 22 July. For the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, this is ‘an agreement for the world’ adding that it will help ease the global food crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, while for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan this will be a ‘milestone’ for peace between two nations.
Video explainer. Even with a deal in place to get Ukraine’s food exports moving, serious weaknesses in the global food system would remain. Can anything be done to prevent future crises? Check out this video explainer from The Economist to learn more.
A help from the EU Commission for Ukrainian farmers. The European Commission will allocate aid for small agricultural producers during August-October – the process is at the final stage, as announced by the Ukrainian Deputy Agriminister Taras Vysotskyi. There will be more financial help coming for Ukrainian agriculture from the US as well: the US has launched a $100 million Agriculture Resilience Initiative (AGRI) to help Ukraine’s agricultural sector amid a worsening global food crisis exacerbated by Putin’s war against Ukraine.
Hungary is to increase the export of Ukrainian grain. Hungary is working on the expansion of the border crossing points with Ukraine at Chop-Zahn and Luzhanka-Beregshuran, in order to equip corridors for the export of agricultural products to bypass the Ukrainian seaports blocked by Russia. This was announced by the Parliamentary State Secretary of Hungary, Levente Magyar, during a meeting with the Chairman of the Zakarpattia Regional Council, Volodymyr Chubyrk, organized to resolve issues of current and future humanitarian support to Ukraine by Hungary.
Agrifood news from the CAPitals
FRANCE
Water restrictions in 75 French regions. French agriculture minister Marc Fesneau has highlighted the severity of the drought currently facing France in an interview on Info France, calling the situation “exceptional”. So far, 75 ‘ departments’ (regions) of France are affected by restrictions on water use, he said, urging everyone to curb their water use. “On a day-to-day basis, simple gestures save water. I appeal to everyone’s responsibility,” he said. (Natasha Foote | EURACTIV.com)
PORTUGAL
Portuguese agriculture minister: EU should develop water management policy. The EU should develop a water management tool similar to the one created for energy to safeguard agricultural production, Portugal’s Agriculture Minister Maria do Céu Antunes argued in Brussels. “Since our food systems are at stake, it is absolutely essential to guarantee water to ensure the security of food systems,” Antunes explained to journalists after a meeting of EU agriculture ministers on Monday (18 July). Read more. (André Campos | Lusa.pt)
GERMANY
Germany gears up to transport Ukrainian wheat. German national railways Deutsche Bahn (DB) plans to start freight train services to carry Ukrainian grain exports to German ports for loading on ships, according to Reuters. Grains will be brought by rail to German ports including Rostock, Hamburg and Brake, DB said. Details of capacity were not given but several trains a week are planned, largely picking up Ukrainian grain in Romania. (Natasha Foote | EURACTIV.com)
SPAIN
Brussels set to approve Spanish agricultural plan. The Spanish national Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) plan will be among the first to get the go-ahead from the European Commission, the EU’s agriculture chief said on Monday (18 July). Learn more. (Fernando Heller | euroefe.es)
AUSTRIA
Austria sees increased support for tackling soaring food prices. Intervention to achieve price reductions on basic foodstuffs is gaining political momentum as calls for uniform national measures to counter increasing inflation gain steam. Learn more. (Laura Kabelka | EURACTIV.de)
NETHERLANDS
Farmers continue to protest against government methane reduction plan. Dutch farmers have continued to protest against what they perceive to be unfair government plans to restrict livestock numbers and fertiliser use in a bid to cut its carbon emissions. In response, the Guardian reports this week that the Dutch people have started hanging the Dutch flag upside down in a sign of solidarity with the Dutch farming sector. (Natasha Foote | EURACTIV.com)
IRELAND
Ireland announces enhanced rates for organic farmers next year. The minister of state at Ireland’s agriculture and food department, Senator Pippa Hackett, announced proposed new enhanced rates for farmers participating in the organic farming scheme this week. Pointing out that organic farmers incur additional expenses, the minister explained she is proposing an annual participation payment which will be €2,000 in the first year of conversion and €1,400/year thereafter. “This will support farmers as we achieve the targets set out in the programme for government of farming 330,000 ha organically,” she said. The plans are subject to approval by the European Commission as part of the ongoing discussions on approval of Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan, and would apply from 1 January 2023. (Natasha Foote | EURACTIV.com)
GREECE
Cooperation agreement for additional support for farmers in the ‘Fair Development’ plan for the ‘lignite’ areas. A cooperation agreement between the ministry of development and investment and the ministry of rural development and food was signed by the Greek government last week. “Through the 2014-2022 Rural Development Programme, interventions in areas affected by ìde-lignification’ have already been funded, while in the framework of the CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027, which is under the approval of the European Commission, the de-lignification challenges for transition areas will be seriously considered, through, indicatively, a higher allocation of resources and/or additional crediting in these areas”, said agriculture minister Georgios Georgantas. (Georgia Evangelia Karagianni| EURACTIV.gr)
Events
25 – 29 July | FAO and IAEA to hold a symposium on managing land and water for climate-smart agriculture
28 July | Regional launch of the ‘Global Action on Green Development of Special Agricultural Products: “One Country One Priority Product”’