Policy Archives - Page 5 of 10 - Agricultural and Rural Convention

Damning Report on CAP Cash in Central and Eastern Europe Released

March 9, 2021 Hans van Scharen

There are “strong links between politics and the biggest beneficiaries of the subsidies” in five Central and East European member states of the EU. That’s according to a new in-depth study “Where does the money go”, which examines the implementation of the EU agriculture funds in Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania and the Czech Republic. The study, which was commissioned by the Greens/EFA political group in the European Parliament, sheds a stark light on how the CAP is not only funding degradation of biodiversity but also degrading democracy. Hans van Scharen reports. […]

OECD – Agri-Food Policy Coherence Needed

February 2, 2021 Hans Wetzels

Questioning unlimited growth in demand and emphasising the impact of societal pressures on productivity and yield, a new OECD report argues for more coherent and holistic farm and food policies. ‘As in other sectors, the economic interests pursued by food and beverage companies are not necessarily aligned with public interests’ the report states. Hans Wetzels has more. […]

CAP | Time for Commission to Get Real on Spending, Say Auditors

November 22, 2020 Louise Kelleher

The EU spends a lot on CAP – almost 40% of its annual budget. But are these billions of euros delivering results? In a new report, the European Court of Auditors find the Commission is “overly optimistic” on the performance of CAP spending and needs to focus on the real impacts. It also confirms that 80% of direct payments are going to 20% of beneficiaries. Louise Kelleher reports. […]

The Missing Funds for Agroecology: What’s Europe’s Role?

October 1, 2020 ARC

The lack of funds by international donors and European countries towards agroecology is a blocking factor for the transformation needed in our food systems. […]

Ireland | EIPs make the case for a better CAP

September 7, 2020 ARC

A group of EIPs – European Innovation Partnerships – has come together in Ireland to argue the case for this environmentally engaged form of farming. So what’s next – will some of the methods and approaches used in these EIPs become templates for other farming regions in Ireland, or for the design of CAP schemes, or for more market-orientated approaches such as PDO and PGI? Here we publish a joint letter by a number of EIPs from Ireland to help stimulate this debate. […]

Catcher in the Rye: Breeding Diversity for Unpredictable Conditions

September 7, 2020 Hannes Lorenzen

The new EU organic regulation, to be implemented in 2022, promises new opportunities especially for young farmers to regain control and knowledge of local conservation, breeding, sustainable use and marketing of seeds fit for organic production. As part of the team that negotiated the new EU organic regulation, ARC2020 President Hannes Lorenzen is curious about how the new less restrictive conditions for organic seed production and marketing will impact breeders and farmers. He spoke to an organic plant breeder and a young farmer about their ideas on the future of seeds. […]

Milking The Planet: How Big Dairy Is Heating Up The Planet And Hollowing Rural Communities

July 6, 2020 Shefali Sharma

Big Dairy’s greenhouse gas emissions are increasing, but the corporations responsible are not being held to account. Meanwhile consolidation in the dairy industry is squeezing smaller operators and hurting rural communities. It’s time to hold agribusiness accountable for its climate footprint, argues Shefali Sharma in a new report from the Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy. […]

CAP | Billions Spent on Biodiversity with Little Impact – Auditors

June 7, 2020 Louise Kelleher

The EU has funnelled €66 billion into farmland biodiversity since 2014 – and has little to show for it. That’s the conclusion of a special report released on Friday by the European Court of Auditors. The auditors slammed the half-baked targets of the EU 2020 biodiversity strategy, its odd-couple relationship with CAP, lack of monitoring, and some very un-smart spending by the European Commission. A series of recommendations have been made. Louise Kelleher reports. […]

Flower Power – Commission (somehow) Approves Dutch Pillage of Pillar 2

May 18, 2020 Igor Tomasz Olech

Covid19 has seen extraordinary measures to keep sectors of the economy afloat. In some cases, however there are winners and losers when money moves around – and consequences for producers other EU member states trying to compete with massive bailouts. Igor Olech has more. […]

EU Pesticide Risk Assessment Practices Slammed in New Study

May 10, 2020 ARC

A new peer-reviewed paper has identified systemic failings in Europe’s pesticide risk assessment process. Written by Claire Robinson and a group of experts in law, policy, and toxicology, our paper outlines how these failings could seriously undermine ambitions for sustainable agriculture and a “green recovery” from the COVID-19 pandemic – and proposes a comprehensive agenda for reform. […]

LEAK – EU Biodiversity Strategy Sets Commitments for Fertilizers, Pesticides, Organics

May 7, 2020 ARC

Specific reductions in the use of mineral fertilizers and pesticides, as well as a target for the increase in the land under organic management, are among the 2030 Commitments of the EU Biodiversity Strategy. […]

Commission Announces Return of Private Milk Storage

April 22, 2020 ARC

The EU Commission announced today private storage aid for meat and dairy, flexibility for market support programmes in wine, fruits and vegetables, olive oil, apiculture and the EU’s school scheme (milk, fruits and vegetables) and derogation from some EU competition rules in milk, flowers and potatoes. […]

40 Organisations Demand April Publication for Farm to Fork, Biodiversity Strategies

April 15, 2020 ARC

39 civil society organisations, including ARC2020, have come together to demand that the EU’s Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies remain on schedule for April publication. […]

Poking Holes in Farm to Fork: Health Groups Take The Strategy’s Temperature

March 25, 2020 Natasha Foote

The Farm to Fork strategy aspires to fix our broken food systems while advancing the EU’s sustainability goals. In this three-part series we hear what environmental, health and farming organisations have to say about Farm to Fork so far. Here, Natasha Foote reports on some of the key voices in the health sector to bring us their take on the strategy as it currently stands. […]

Shifting Subsidies in Switzerland – the Clean Drinking Water Initiative.

January 12, 2020 Klaus Lanz

Switzerland is well known for holding referendums. A new one that’s coming up asks for a change in subsides to farmers, towards supporting more ecological priorities. If the Clean Drinking Water Initiative passes, payments will go to farmers who don’t use pesticides or antibiotics, and who carry lower livestock numbers on their farms. Klaus Lans has more. […]