Brussels on Tuesday adopted a partial exemption for 2024 from fallow obligations, a key demand of recent agricultural protests, as sector organizations maintain pressure on governments across the European Union (EU).
This was a new feature of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): to receive aid, farmers must respect environmental criteria, in particular leaving at least 4% of arable land fallow or non-productive areas (hedges, groves, ponds, etc.). ).
The European Commission had completely suspended this condition in 2023 to produce more and compensate for the disruptions in Ukrainian and Russian cereal supplies following the invasion of Ukraine. And a majority of member states, including France, vigorously pleaded to renew this exemption.
Under pressure after weeks of agricultural demonstrations, where the question of fallow land was sometimes a scarecrow, Brussels finally proposed a “partial exemption” at the end of January.
Faced with the soaring costs of fertilizers and energy, the impact of Ukrainian imports or even “extreme climatic episodes”, farmers “experience difficulty in respecting” the fallow obligation, because they risk a “ significant impact on their income,” recognizes the European Commission.
According to the decision published Tuesday, farmers will be able to receive aid if they reach at least 4% by adding not only any fallows and non-productive areas, but also intermediate crops (growing between two main crops) or nitrogen-fixing crops ( lentils, peas, etc.) without the use of phytosanitary products.
The relaxation will only be valid this year, specifies the regulation published in Official Journal of the EU.
A way to “limit loss of income”, while preserving a minimum of practices favorable to the environment, explains Bruxelles.
“Flexibility”
“This offers flexibility to farmers while continuing to reward them for their crucial work towards food security and sustainability,” assures Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The decision was adopted despite the reluctance of some EU member countries, unable to achieve the necessary majority to approve the text during a vote last Friday.
Brussels had initially proposed a threshold of 7% at the end of January, instead of the 4% finally adopted following complaints from States wanting increased relaxation. But this reduction irritated Germany, which denounced an attack on biodiversity and abstained. Italy voted against, like three other countries.
In the absence of approval from Member States, the European Commission retained the possibility of deciding alone. States can now apply this exemption to their farmers, but it is not an obligation.
“I am committed to ensuring that this hasty and immature decision will not be applied in Germany,” responded German Environment Minister Steffi Lemke.
Conversely, the French Minister of Agriculture, Marc Fesneau, “welcomed” a “derogation simplifying the achievement of the environmental objectives linked to the CAP, without calling them into question”.
Anger still present
Many other claims remain unresolved.
The FNSEA, the main French agricultural union, warned on Tuesday that farmers were ready to relaunch their vast mobilization if the concrete measures expected from the government were not there “within ten days”.
Same pressure in Greece, where Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met angry farmers on Tuesday, saying he was “open to discussion” despite “limited tax margins” after having granted a reduction in electricity bills and VAT on fertilizer.
In Belgium, hundreds of tractors tried to block access to the port of Antwerp on Tuesday.
Italy granted tax exemptions on Friday while hundreds of tractors were massed at the gates of Rome.
The European Commission also assured at the end of January that “the conditions were not met” to conclude the criticized trade agreement with the South American Mercosur countries.
She had also proposed measures to limit Ukrainian imports. The dumping of Ukrainian grain on the road by Polish farmers at the border on Sunday caused a new crisis between Warsaw and kyiv.
Brussels also promised a rapid proposal to “reduce the administrative burden” weighing on farms.
French President Emmanuel Macron called for “tangible” simplifications of the CAP and denounced distortions within the EU due to the disparate application of rules between states.