CAP Archives - Page 14 of 34 - Agricultural and Rural Convention

Rural Dialogues | Smart Villages – Turning Momentum into Support for Local Action

July 15, 2019 ARC

The momentum behind Smart Villages continues to grow – both within EU and national policy circles and on the ground among rural communities. The challenge is to translate this momentum into a policy framework that provides fast and flexible tools which meet the needs and expectations of rural communities in different parts of Europe. This will mean avoiding complicated structures and plans, mobilising what exists in each place – and supporting local action rather than words. […]

Brussels | Farmers, Environmentalists tackle EU-Mercosur Deal

July 12, 2019 Brendan Ó Conchúir (Brendan Conchuir)

Several organisation representing farmers and environmentalists came together in Brussels to protest against the Mercosur trade deal yesterday. Responding to a call from the Belgian farmers group FUGEA, farmers and activists gathered outside the European Commission to protest against the threat posed by Mercosur to farmer incomes, the environment, and the rights of indigenous peoples in South America. […]

Ireland | Agriculture as part of a Just Transition

July 6, 2019 ARC

How can the agricultural sector in Ireland be part of a Just Transition to address inequality in the sector and tackle climate change? Agriculture is not only a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland, it is also the most unequal sector in the Irish economy in income terms. When it comes to climate change and agriculture, we need to change how we think about the challenge of reducing emissions. Farmers and their communities must play a central role in planning climate action to ensure it is good for farmers as well as the planet. […]

Czech Republic | “No Forests, No Water, No Future” – Part II: Moving On from Monocultures

July 3, 2019 Louise Kelleher

Drought, insect infestations, biofuels and monocultures are impacting Czech agriculture and the ability of the soil to do its jobs, from water storage to erosion prevention. In part one of this series we exposed this troubled ecology of soil, forests and water. Next, we look at how history, politics and policy have shaped the lie of the land. With Louise Kelleher in Prague. […]

Series | Where Next for CAP – Can Strategic Plans Deliver?

June 30, 2019 ARC

While the next CAP reform is still in discussion at the Council, and the European Parliament has not yet taken a final position, Samuel Féret explains the rationale of the new concept of CAP Strategic Plans (CSP) for a future CAP as proposed by the European Commission. This is intended as a pivotal piece of the future new delivery model, probably the biggest proposed change in how the CAP is set to operate in the future. The first in a five part article series on where next for CAP. […]

France, Agroecology & the Coming CAP Reform

June 27, 2019 Oliver Moore

Agroecology is much talked about, and practiced in many regions, but how does it relate to the word of policy-making? In some countries such as France, agroecology forms the basis of developing agri-food policy – albeit in a contested and sometimes contradictory way. […]

New MEPs, the Green Wave and the Quest for a Climate Friendly CAP

June 13, 2019 Oliver Moore

An important CAP report was suppressed until just after the European elections, which, nevertheless, saw some significant changes in the Parliament’s political groupings. Oliver Moore has more. […]

Part I: Spanish Coalition “Por Otra PAC” is Born

May 29, 2019 Marta Zygadlo

Following the lead of French, German and Italian food and farming coalitions, this March saw the launch of Coalición Por Otra PAC, a chance for Spanish civil society to join forces to push for a truly sustainable CAP. Marta Zygadlo reports on who the coalition is and what they are trying to achieve. […]

Agriculture Atlas | The Pillage of Pillar 2

May 26, 2019 Helene Schulze

A fantastic new resource has been published – an Agriculture Atlas. This is a really useful introductory to agri-food and rural policy in the EU, and mostly revolves around how CAP is implemented, including in a number of member states. ARC2020 has an article on Pillar 2, written by Helene Schulze and Oliver Moore. Published by Heinrich Boll Stiftung, Birdlife International (Europe and Central Asia) and Friends of the Earth Europe. […]

Latest from Brussels

IEEP Manifesto Analysis Part V: European People’s Party (EPP) short-sighted on sustainability issues

May 24, 2019 Louise Kelleher

In the fifth part in this series, Louise Kelleher works through the IEEP manifestos of the key European political parliament in the run-up to the elections to see how they meet their sustainability commitments. On the cards today: the EPP aka European People’s Party. […]

Announcing the Agriculture Atlas

May 23, 2019 ARC

Last week saw the launch of the Agriculture Atlas, a collaboration between Heinrich Böll Foundation, Friends of the Earth Europe and BirdLife International on the state of play of EU farming policy. Including a contribution by ARC2020, this is a comprehensive, in-depth and timely resource. […]

Digitization in Romanian Agriculture – Three Appropriate Solutions

May 14, 2019 ARC

Supposed digital and technological solutions abound in agriculture, and are strongly emphasised in the EU Commission’s CAP proposals. What are the consequences of the increasing focus on these solutions – and can they really work for rural Romania? Are there other more appropriate approaches? […]

IEEP Manifesto Analysis Part III: What’s the Deal with the Greens?

April 25, 2019 Louise Kelleher

In this third part, Louise Kelleher summarises the IEEP analysis of the manifesto of the European Green Party (EGP). How does it match up to their 2014 manifesto? How do their commitments score against the European Environment Agency’s red indicators and against their own Think 2030 report? […]

IEEP Manifesto Analysis Part II: PES Promises Fair Play

April 15, 2019 Louise Kelleher

IEEP looks at how PES policies have evolved since its 2014 manifesto, and examines how they stack up against the recommendations of its own Think 2030 report. It checks for compliance with red indicators – the targets in the 7th Environmental Action Programme (EAP) considered unlikely to be met by 2020, as flagged in the EEA’s European Environment Agency’s 2018 Environmental Indicator Report. So what is PES promising? […]

“Exploit all available tools” – German platform on the Eco-Schemes

April 12, 2019 Helene Schulze

German agriculture will need a shake up to meet environmental targets and challenges. Here the platform of 20 food and farming organisations share their response to the proposed eco-schemes in the post-2020 CAP. […]