The Twenty-seven give the inexperienced gentle to the relief of the environmental necessities of the countryside | Economy | EUROtoday

This Monday, the Twenty-Seven gave their ultimate approval to the relief of the environmental necessities of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) agreed in Brussels in response to the agricultural protests within the first months of the 12 months. The measure, which comes a couple of weeks earlier than the European elections in June, has been harshly criticized by environmental organizations, which accuse the Member States of an “opportunistic attempt” for electoral functions on the expense of the setting.

The “specific review” of the CAP seeks to “simplify and reduce the administrative burden”, one of many calls for of the agricultural protests. Likewise, the permitted measures “offer greater flexibility to meet certain environmental conditions, while guaranteeing a predictable framework for farmers,” the EU Council defends the choice in an announcement, through which it underlines that the brand new measures will enter into power “no later than the end of May.”

The harsh agricultural protests in a number of European nations, together with Spain, and in Brussels itself, the place farmers collapsed with their tractors the entrances to the European neighborhood the place the group establishments are primarily based at a number of EU conferences this 12 months, have precipitated a robust unrest within the capitals. Many governments worry the influence of the demonstrations on the polls in a fancy electoral 12 months in lots of Member States and, additionally, on the EU degree, the place there’s worry of an advance by the acute proper that has not hesitated to attempt to capitalize on the discontent of the countryside. .

Aware of the problem, the European Commission has proposed with uncommon pace a number of measures to alleviate the executive burden on farmers, in addition to “temporary and specific” derogations from a number of of the environmental necessities (Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions, BCAM) which might be a situation to obtain direct assist from the CAP. Among others, the necessities concerning the conversion of arable areas into pastures or crop rotation for soil preservation are made extra versatile.

According to the proposed reforms, farmers whose farm measurement doesn’t exceed 10 hectares are additionally exempt from cross-compliance controls. “Given that these small farmers represent 65% of the CAP beneficiaries, but approximately only 10% of the total agricultural area, such an extension could simplify the work of many farmers and national administrations without posing a significant obstacle to the contribution of the conditionality requirements to the achievement of its objectives”, signifies the proposal to evaluate European laws associated to the CAP. This now has the ultimate approval of the Member States, the final needed step earlier than each the Council and the European Parliament, which already gave its approval to the reforms on the finish of April, stamp their signature on the regulation in order that this be revealed within the Official Journal of the EU.

One day after its look, it would come into power, foreseeably earlier than the top of this month, in line with the want expressed by the Twenty-Seven. Farmers will be capable to retroactively apply a number of the new guidelines associated to environmental situations for the 2024 utility 12 months, Brussels underlines.

The adoption of the reforms “occurs only two months after the Commission presented the proposal. This clearly shows that we are fulfilling the promises we made to European farmers,” stated Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture, David Clarinval, whose nation holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council this semester.

But it’s exactly this pace in approving the reforms, with out finishing up an evaluation of their influence, which has precipitated the rejection of quite a few environmental protection organizations.

“We are appalled that so many politicians across Europe are threatening the basis of life on this planet to provide false solutions to farmers' plight, while doing nothing to address farmers' complaints about abusive supply chain practices or a unfair competition and cheap imports due to trade agreements,” greater than 140 worldwide organizations, together with Greenpeace, WWF and Friends of the Earth, denounce in an open letter revealed this Monday. The European political response “is an opportunistic attempt to grab a handful more votes in the next elections,” accuse the environmental associations, which additionally criticize different steps backwards taken by the European Commission — whose president, the conservative Ursula von der Leyen, seeks reelection—when it comes to the battle towards local weather change and the preservation of biodiversity supplied for within the bold agenda of the European Green Deal now questioned by some governments.

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