News

The Commission approved a new Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) from Germany: ‘Oktoberfestbier’, reported Ag-Press.eu platform.

Today, the European Commission approved the CAP strategic plans for Croatia, Slovenia and Sweden. 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. Under the reformed policy, funding will be more fairly distributed among farms, with emphasis on small and medium-sized family farms, as well as young farmers. Moreover, farmers will be supported to take up new innovations, from precision farming to agro-ecological production methods.

Germany is pushing ahead with the development of smart villages – a move EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski said was crucial for developing rural areas, reported EurActiv. The approach, also known as smart village development, is about revitalising rural areas through digital and, in some cases, social innovation, according to the European Network for Rural Development (ENLR).

“Smart villages are a key policy tool to unlock the potential of our rural communities,” Wojciechowski said during a conference on Thursday (27 October).

The Commission is proposing stronger rules on ambient air, surface and groundwater pollutants, and treatment of urban wastewater. Clean air and water are essential for the health of people and ecosystems, reported European Commission. Air pollution alone means nearly 300,000 Europeans die prematurely each year, and the proposed new rules will reduce deaths resulting from levels of the main pollutant PM_2.5 above World Health Organization guidelines by more than 75% in ten years.

Eco-schemes are payment schemes in agriculture aiming at the protection of environment and climate. They are voluntary agreement between farmers and landowners, and public bodies. Farmers and landowners are paid if the established environmental goals are reached, reported Phys.org.

Great hopes are placed in this tool, in fact a quarter of the budget for the first pillar of Common Agricultural Policy is dedicated exclusively to funding eco-schemes.

Today, the European Commission launched the European CAP Network during an event in Brussels gathering more than 300 participants, from the public and private sector. The EU CAP Network aims to optimise the flow of information about agriculture and rural policy within the EU, to support the implementation and evaluation of the CAP Strategic Plans,  as well as boosting innovation of the sector.

EU agriculture ministers are pushing the European Commission to relax rules on new genomic techniques (NGTs), arguing this is needed to bolster the sector in the face of increasing droughts, climate change and yield losses.

“We only need to modify our old legislative framework regulating modern breeding techniques,” Czech agriculture minister Zdenek Nekula said during a press conference following an informal meeting of EU agriculture ministers on Friday (16 September).

European Commission approved the first package of CAP strategic plans for seven countries: Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, and Spain. This is an important step for the implementation of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on 1 January 2023. The new CAP is designed to shape the transition to a sustainable, resilient and modern European agricultural sector.