Biodiversity Archives - Agricultural and Rural Convention

Confidential Legal Advice on CAP Fast Track Uncovered – Critique of a Meek Opinion

April 20, 2024 Oliver Moore

Under pressure from farmer protests, upcoming elections and its own cowardice in the face of climate and biodiversity collapse, the political establishment in Brussels and beyond is fast-tracking the evisceration of CAP’s environmental elements. This rush job began on 15th March with a proposal from the Commission, and will likely end Thursday 25th when the last full plenary of the Parliament rubber stamps the proposed regulation. The latest piece of sequencing was confidential legal advice given to the European Parliament on the process. In part one Natasha Foote outlined the proposal and the legal advice. Here Oliver Moore applies a critical analysis to shortcomings therein. […]

Confidential Legal Advice on CAP Fast Track Uncovered – what’s in it?

April 19, 2024 Natasha Foote

When the Commission proposed re-opening the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy in efforts to placate protesting farmers, stakeholders were quick to question the legitimacy of the process, with some even labelling the move “unlawful”. Now, the European Parliament’s legal service has weighed in on the process. So what is the verdict? And what does it mean for the future direction of the policy process? Natasha Foote digs in. […]

EU’s Nature Restoration Law at Critical Juncture after Pushback by Member States

March 25, 2024 Natasha Foote

The EU’s Nature Restoration Law has suffered yet another set back after a number of EU countries refused to greenlight the final shape of the negotiated law – something that both the Commission and campaign groups warn risks undermining the EU’s international credibility. Natasha Foote reports. […]

Nature Restoration Law Passes Final Hurdle in Parliament, Now Set to Become Law

February 27, 2024 ARC

The Nature Restoration Law has passed the final stage of approval in the European Institutions, with its passing today in the European Parliament. What happened, what’s next? […]

Commission to Renew Glyphosate for 10 years after Member States Fail to Reach Qualified Majority

November 16, 2023 Natasha Foote

The European Commission will unilaterally renew the approval of the weedkiller glyphosate for another 10 years after member states failed to find an agreement over the controversial herbicide. Natasha Foote has more. […]

Nature Restoration Law Emerges from Trilogue – What’s Changed?

November 10, 2023 ARC

The Nature Restoration Law (NRL) took a massive step forward in the evening of the 9th November, with the conclusion of inter-institutional negotiations. The adopted position, which still has some hurdles to surmount, is certainly less ambitious than the Commission’s initial proposal. While all ecosystems are in, the NRL largely adopts the Council’s flexible position, while some weaking of targets accommodates the Parliament’s position. Oliver Moore has an initial report. […]

EU Fails to Deliver on Food System Transformation in Face of Environmental Collapse

October 10, 2023 Jeroen Candel

In this op-ed, Dr. Jeroen Candel, associate professor of food and agricultural policy, Wageningen University, the Netherlands, points to the failures of EU institutions to deliver on the Farm to Fork strategy, despite the impacts of worsening climate and biodiversity collapse. […]

European Parliament Adopts a Weakened Nature Restoration Law – next step Trilogue

July 12, 2023 Oliver Moore

The Nature Restoration Law (NRL) has survived the European Parliament’s Plenary vote today, Though the Parliament adopted a significantly weaker NRL, the Council’s position is more environmental ambitious – and the Council tends to have the upper hand in these negotiations. This augers well for the NRL coming into force. […]

ENVI Committee Votes Down Nature Restoration Law Report – what happened and what’s next?

June 27, 2023 ARC

Today, the European Parliament’s Committee on Environment, Public Health, and Food Safety (ENVI) finished voting on amendments to the Nature Restoration Law. No majority was found for the law as amended, as the vote was once again split 44-44. So what happened and what’s next? […]

Big Step Forward for Nature Restoration Law – Council of Ministers Agrees its Position

June 21, 2023 ARC

The Nature Restoration Law took a step forward this week, with environment ministers from around Europe coming together to adopt an agreed position. 20 member states, representing over 2/3 of the EU’s population, voted to accept the file presented to them. This qualified majority means the Council now has a position for trilogue. So what happened and what’s next? […]

Nature Restoration Law avoids rejection in Parliament’s Environment Committee – what’s next?

June 15, 2023 ARC

The Nature Restoration Law (NRL) continues its perilous path towards enactment, surviving the first major hurdle at the Environment Committee in the European Parliament on the morning of today, Thursday 15th June. So what happened, and what’s next? […]

Leak – Draft NGT Regulation and Impact Assessment revealed

June 15, 2023 ARC

In the interests of transparency, ARC2020 is making available the draft regulation on NGTs – New Genomic Techniques. Also made available is the Impact Assessment which accompanies it. […]

Nature Restoration Law | No, 10% of land will NOT be abandoned under NRL

June 11, 2023 Oliver Moore

Good news! The Nature Restoration Law (NRL) won’t, can’t and couldn’t cause the abandonment of 10% of Europe’s perfectly good farmland. This is important to know in advance of the vote on the 15th in the European Parliament’s Environment Committee. If this committee doesn’t pass the compromise NRL text, its likely over. So if you are contacting MEPs on the ENVI Committee – or if indeed you are one of those 88 MEPs – rest assured. These is no land abandonment in the NRL. Explainer by Oliver Moore. […]

Rewetting Survives, Natura 2000 areas ringfenced in Environment Committee Text

June 8, 2023 ARC

The Environment Committee’s compromise text on the Nature Restoration Law sees few significant changes to the main targets, including in the contentious area of rewetting organic soils. Other relevant restoration actions are however more restricted to Nature 2000 sites than in the Commission proposal. Oliver Moore reports. […]

Nature Restoration Law News – Environment Committee Edging Towards Deal as EPP walks out

May 31, 2023 ARC

The main groups in the Environmental Committee have reached an agreement text on the Nature Restoration Law late this evening: “This evening the ENVI shadow rapporteurs of the Nature Restoration Law arrived at a package deal, which will be brought to the vote in the ENVI committee on 15th June” a short joint statement reads. […]