President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has launched the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture, a new forum mandated to shape a shared vision for the future of the EU's farming and food system.
Today, the Commission adopted a package of measures for a sustainable use of key natural resources, which will also strengthen the resilience of EU food systems and farming.
On 02.02.2023 the Commission adopted new rules which will, once applicable, lower the Maximum Residues Levels (MRLs) of two pesticides in food. Assessments by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have shown that the two chemicals, belonging to the group of neonicotinoid pesticides, clothianidin and thiamethoxam, pose a high risk to bees and contribute to the global decline of pollinators. For this reason, their outdoor use has already been banned in the EU in 2018.
On 24th January, the Commission presented 'A New Deal for Pollinators' to tackle the alarming decline in wild pollinating insects in Europe, revising the 2018 EU Pollinators Initiative.
The share of EU agricultural land under organic farming increased by more than 50% over the period 2012-2020, with an annual increase of 5.7%. In 2020, 9.1% of the EU’s agricultural area was farmed organically, reported the European Commission. On average, though with substantial variation across Member States, organic farms are bigger than conventional farms and run by younger farm managers.
The European Commission launched a public consultation inviting all interested parties to comment on its draft proposal for Guidelines on how to design sustainability agreements in the field of agriculture (‘Guidelines') using the novel exclusion from EU competition rules introduced during the recent reform of the common agricultural policy (‘CAP').
The European Commission will allocate €185.9 million in 2023 to fund promotion activities for sustainable and high quality EU agri-food products in the EU and worldwide. The 2023 promotion policy work programme adopted today by the Commission contributes to the realisation of the political priorities of the European Commission for 2019-2024, in particular the Farm to Fork strategy.
Today, the European Commission approved the CAP Strategic Plans of Bulgaria and Romania. The new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), set to start on 1 January 2023, is designed to shape the transition to a sustainable, resilient and modern European agricultural sector.
