Greens have strongly criticised the European Commission for what they say is a lack of concern for the environment in its proposals for the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy.
The Commission’s proposals on climate change are too weak, environmentalists say, arguing that stronger decision-making powers for EU member states risk sinking environmental objectives.
Five Green MEPs recently wrote an op-ed on EURACTIV.com, saying that new CAP will be worse for the climate and farmers than the current one.
Moreover, a revised General Food law has been in place with an aim to increase transparency, especially regarding the authorisation of pesticides and their environmental impact.
The urgent need for innovation in agriculture, combined with the need for environmental protection, will be the big challenge facing EU policymakers.
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Farmers hope EU Commission will block Austria’s glyphosate ban
Austrian farmers hope that the European Commission will not approve a ban on weedkiller glyphosate, recently pushed forward by the government in Vienna.
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French MEP: When it comes to the environment, the future CAP is regressive
In an interview with EURACTIV France, French MEP and vice-chair of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group Eric Andrieu spoke about the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and highlighted its lack of environmentally-focused provisions.
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MEP: Green agriculture movement in Germany is growing fast
In an interview with EURACTIV Germany, Greens/EFA’s spokesperson in the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee and member of the Environment Committee Martin Häusling spoke about the potential influence Germany could have on the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
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EU ministers struggle to find a ‘practical’ roadmap for a greener CAP
Although all EU ministers agree on higher climate objectives in the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), they still do not know how to put this environmental ambition into practice.