CAP Archives - Page 13 of 34 - Agricultural and Rural Convention

Auditors – Measures to Stabilise Farmer Incomes have ‘limited effect’

December 17, 2019 Natasha Foote

The European Court of Auditors examined farmers income stablisation in a recent report. The findings were mixed, with direct payments, insurance, mutual funds all assessed. Many measures have failed to live up to expectations. What’s more, the uptake of these payments was found to be uneven, inefficient and, in some cases, unfair. And in some cases public aid and insurance may even be prolonging unsustainable practices. Natasha Foote has more. […]

The EU’s Green Deal – Farming, Food Analysis

December 16, 2019 ARC

Here we present key facts and statements from the EU’s Green Deal document, with brief analysis from ARC2020. From an agri-food perspective, the Green Deal document in the main refers to an as yet undeveloped document, the EU’s Farm to Fork strategy document. This is due in 2020, after a period of consultation. However we can already read between the lines and see where the fault lines for future discussions and battles are. […]

CSOs Open Letter on the Farm to Fork strategy to Achieve Sustainable Food Systems

December 13, 2019 ARC

ARC2020 is one of 30 civil society organisations have written an open letter in order to highlight the priorities and actions that the F2F strategy should have in order to provide a coherent response to societal concerns about biodiversity, climate change, health, income of all workers in the food chain, social equity and animal welfare, amongst others. […]

Is There Space for Rewilding on Organic Farms?

December 9, 2019 ARC

Oliver Moore spoke with Irish organic cattle farmer Sean Butler about rewilding and organic farming. The west-of-Ireland man is already starting to encourage nature to come back – but could CAP help? […]

CAP | External Convergence, Newer Member States and the MFF

November 14, 2019 Igor Tomasz Olech

From a central and east European perspective, equalisation of CAP payments between all member states is long overdue. What is the background to this expectation, and how likely or desirable is it now, with Wojciechowski as Commissioner? […]

Will Wojciechowski Make it as Ag Commissioner? Polish & Other Perspectives

October 6, 2019 Igor Tomasz Olech

Poland’s choice for Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski’s had a tough hearing on 1st October – so tough, he’s had to answer written questions and may have to appear again on Monday. Then he may be subject to a secret ballot of the 48 MEPs who make up the Agri Committee. So who is Janusz Wojciechowski, what might he focus on, and what is the Polish impression of the MEP from the Euroskeptic ECR group? With new correspondent Igor Olech. […]

Series | What will come from the CAP Strategic Plan Negotiations?

September 25, 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 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. This is the second in a five part article series on what happens next for the CAP. […]

Your National Ag Minister is Killing an Environmental CAP

September 24, 2019 ARC

National Ministers from EU member states have put together a working paper that essentially eviscerates any significant environmental ambition of the CAP. ARC2020 is leaking the Working Paper on the Common Agriculture Policy, dated 5th September, in the interests of transparency and full disclosure of necessary information to all stakeholders. […]

Agriculture Atlas | The Biggest Beneficiary

September 16, 2019 EditorialARC2020

France is the largest recipient of Common Agricultural Policy funds. But there are significant disparities among the country’s regions, between types of production, and among farms. […]

Brussels | Commission’s CAP Files to Continue

September 11, 2019 Oliver Moore

Work will continue in the new parliament on the CAP files developed by the Commission and progressed under the previous parliament. With a new parliament now in place, there was the potential for all of the previous work to be rejected, and allowed lapse under what’s called an unfinished business rule. While this will not be the case, what will happen is still uncertain. Here we unpack the options. […]

Agriculture Atlas | Tied to the Land

September 11, 2019 EditorialARC2020

Three-quarters of the Common Agricultural Policy budget goes into direct payments for farmers – almost regardless of what they do. Most of the money benefits just a few large producers and fails to deliver on the social and environmental challenges rural areas face. […]

Could ‘Eco-Schemes’ be used to Support Organic Farming under CAP?

September 3, 2019 Oliver Moore

“Member States may decide to set up eco-schemes for agricultural practices such as the enhanced management of permanent pastures and landscape features, and organic farming” says the European Commission. What does this practically mean for support for organic farming? […]

Agriculture Atlas | A Decades-Long Discount Worth E130 Billion

August 6, 2019 ARC

A mini-Brexit took place back in 1985 with the UK budget rebate, which violates the principle of solidarity in European integration. But the payments made to farmers under the Common Agricultural Policy are hindering further threats of withdrawal from the European Union. […]

CAP and Climate: Buried Commission Report Mourns Missed Opportunities

July 26, 2019 Louise Kelleher

It took a freedom of information request to reveal the contents of the European Commission’s October 2018 study of the impact of the CAP on climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. It finally came out on the Monday after the European Parliament elections. What can it tell us about the Commission, CAP and climate? […]

Organic Livestock Farming is for the Birds!

July 22, 2019 Oliver Moore

Organic livestock farming is the only CAP supported agri-environmental (AES) measure that has been shown to correlate with higher bird numbers. This finding comes from newly published research on birds in Finland. […]