Polish farmers burn a coffin with the inscription “Farmer – 20 years old – killed by Green Deal” during a protest against EU climate measures and Ukrainian imports on March 6, 2024 in Warsaw, Poland. (Photo by Wojtek Radwanski / AFP)
AFP
EU lawmakers on Wednesday approved a revision of the bloc’s common agricultural policy (CAP) that scaled back some of the more eco-friendly requirements in a bid to appease farmers protesting what they say are overly strict rules.
Farmers have been mounting rolling protests in countries across the European Union, from Belgium and France to Spain, Italy and Poland, over a long list of burdens they say are depressing revenue.
The European Parliament rushed through the changes by a large majority at its last plenary session ahead of EU Parliament elections in June.
Much to the dismay of environmental NGOs, the European Commission had proposed in March to relax or even abolish some of the green criteria that the new CAP would impose on farmers starting in 2023.
The revision does away entirely with an obligation to leave a share of arable land fallow, a measure aimed at protecting soils and promoting biodiversity but a major gripe for farmers.
Farmers are still incentivised to do so.
EU member states will now have more flexibility to decide which soils to protect and in which season, and will be able to diversify crops as well as rotate them.
A key change also involves granting leeway to farmers who fail to meet CAP requirements because of extreme weather.
And it exempts small farms of fewer than 10 hectares (25 acres) from inspections and penalties related to CAP compliance.
France’s agriculture minister Marc Fesneau welcomed the revision, as did farming lobby groups.
But Green MEPs and environmental NGOs denounced the relaxation of environmental standards in the EU’s vast agricultural policy.
“This initiative undermines the EU’s strategies on climate, biodiversity and soil protection,” French MEP Benoit Biteau said.
“No significant measures are envisaged to improve farmers’ incomes,” he said.
AFP
