A range of amendments to the Nature Restoration Law (NRL) have been tabled for Tuesday’s Agriculture and Rural Development Committee in the European Parliament. Reduced targets, increased exemptions and a reduced role for NGOs are among the standout amendments. […]
The much-anticipated SUR legislation to reduce the use of pesticides in the EU faces another setback as it appears that the vote will not take place until autumn, or later. […]
As trilogues to decide the future of CAP progress behind closed doors, the business-as-usual lobby is fighting its corner with some level of exacerbation. They are annoyed with the Commission, with the scientific community, and with young people in the decision-making corridors. Fridays for Future and a host of civil society stakeholders want the Commission to Withdraw the CAP, and the case for doing just this is mounting, as the chasm between the European Green Deal and CAP widens. […]
Biodiversity, organic farming, young farmers and other areas received a welcome financial boost from the EU institutions on Tuesday (10th November). The European Parliament’s negotiating team and the German Presidency of the Council reached agreement on the forthcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the EU’s budget for 2021 – 2027. […]
This week is an important one in Europe, with both the Council of Ministers and the Parliament meeting on CAP. MEPs have a plenary vote upcoming later this week . This means the Parliament will adopt an overall, established position for the next stage – trialogue negotiations with Council and Commission. Here we link to all amendments and provide a quick guide to voting for and against certain amendments. […]
With the summer recess rapidly becoming a distant memory, EU parliament discussions on CAP are being relaunched this week. We look at the new dynamic, what’s expected from the new round of negotiations, and what issues are on the table for now. […]
With insect Armageddon and biodiversity collapse making the headlines, pesticides are public enemy No. 1. Scientists are now naming and shaming pesticides as a key driver of biodiversity loss. Even the European Parliament has caught the bug. MEPs insist that the new CAP must do more to shrug off our dependency on agrochemicals. Meanwhile farmers are showing that – with the right supports – instead of scapegoats for biodiversity loss, they can be part of the solution. […]
The Agricultural part of an omnibus regulation has been reached in Estonia. Omnibus regulation adjusts financing for the EU budget in agriculture and other areas. […]
Following a long and fractious process, it appears the herbicide glyphosate will have its approval extended for 18 months, pending another agencies’ assessment. […]
The European Commission should renew the EU market approval for glyphosate for another 7 years only instead of 15 as originally proposed, says the non-binding resolution. Improved and more transparent evidence are also called for. […]
ARC2020 exclusive: Part one two by André Pfimlin, translated from French by ARC2020’s Samuel Feret and Peter Crosskey. In part one, Andre outlines the milk crisis: part two, to be released tomorrow morning, suggests solutions. #MilkCrisis “Since the long term market perspectives are good for animal products and since Europe has significant potential for growing milk production, we should produce more and export more”, said European Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan. “We must accelerate the modernisation and consolidation of livestock farmholdings to make them more productive and more competitive”, a Copa-Cogeca vice-president said recently (1). In 2015, just like 2009, at the height of yet another milk crisis the line is the same out of Brussels, be it from the European Commission or Copa-Cogeca. For our policymakers, dreaming of unlimited export trade for decades to come, the short-term volatility of world prices takes a back seat. It is down to the livestock farmers to anticipate market volatility and either build up reserves when prices are high or take out private insurance policies. So there will be […]
This November sees the European Rural Parliament (ERP) 2015 gathering, to be held in the beautiful small town of Schärding in Upper Austria. This three-day event, with one day of study tours in regions surrounding the venue, followed by two days of workshops and plenary sessions. The aim of the European Rural Parliament is To strengthen the voice of the rural communities of Europe, and to ensure that the interests and well-being of these communities are strongly reflected in national and European policies To promote self-help, common understanding, solidarity, exchange of good practice and cooperation among rural communities throughout Europe. This event will culminate in the adoption of a European Rural Manifesto and supporting Report, aimed at both rural communities and governments throughout Europe and at European Institutions. Over 300 people from 40 countries will attend, plus other leading rural organisations and invited representatives of the European Commission, the European Parliament, and Council of Europe. The European Rural Manifesto, and supporting report, will be published and used to influence European institutions and national and regional […]
As the Parliament instructs the European Commission to replace investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) with another dispute settling entity, we ask – isn’t it just another ISDS anyway? […]
Has the Romanian State’s lack of diligence on GM been exposed by Greenpeace? Eco Ruralis tell us. […]
Romanian peasants prepare for EU elections. But who to vote for? […]
Agricultural and Rural Convention