CAP reform

MEP: European food sovereignty is the real issue at stake in CAP talks

Faced with the challenges of climate change and the public health problems posed by the use of pesticides, Europe must now rebuild its food sovereignty, according to socialist lawmaker Eric Andrieu.

Coexistence of different agri models is key for pandemic recovery, says MEP

In light of the difficult political context Europe is facing, with COVID-19, Brexit, US tariffs, and trade tensions, more thought should be put into different models of agriculture to address future challenges, the right-wing MEP Mazaly Aguilar (ECR) told EURACTIV in an interview.

MEP: CAP is about farmers’ livelihood too, not only sustainability

The reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the EU's massive farming subsidies programme, must look after the well-being of farmers as well, rather than focus mainly on environmental sustainability, centre-right MEP Herbert Dorfmann told EURACTIV.

Green German MP: The times are changing, and so must the CAP

The European Parliament will vote on the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) at the end of the week. In an interview with EURACTIV France, Bundestag MP Harald Ebner (Greens) spoke about how crucial it was to integrate the European Commission's 'Farm to Fork' strategy into the new CAP, which according to him, should be greener and fairer.

Kyriakides: Investments will match EU’s ambition on sustainable food systems

The EU's determination to become a global leader in sustainability will be matched by investments in solutions to deliver on the commitments set out in the EU's new food policy, Commissioner Stella Kyriakides told EURACTIV.com in an exclusive interview.

Agriculture has fundamental role to play in fighting climate change, says French socialist MEP

In an interview with EURACTIV's partner Le Journal de l'environnement, French socialist MEP Éric Andrieu (S&D) said that climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic make it necessary to put agriculture back at the heart of the debate and to change the agricultural model with targeted tools and resources.

EU farm chief: Post-coronavirus recovery should be green and sustainable

The Green Deal remains a flagship policy of von der Leyen Commission and the EU should aim for a post-COVID-19 recovery that is green and sustainable, Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski told EURACTIV.com in an exclusive interview.

Croatian farm minister: Getting transitional CAP done by mid-2020 on presidency’s radar

The Croatian EU presidency will focus its efforts on securing an agreement among member states on Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)'s transitional regulations that will extend the current rules for at least a year, Croatia's Agriculture Minister Marija Vučković told EURACTIV in an interview.

CAP needs drastic change, says Polish professor

In an interview with Environment Protection Dr Zbigniew Karaczun of the Warsaw University of life Sciences, EURACTIV Poland’s Mateusz Kucharczyk finds out what the Polish professor has to say about the Commission’s new CAP proposal and urged to enact new laws, as opposed to just reforming existing regulations.

Croatia foreign minister: We will defend regional, farm funding in new EU budget

EXCLUSIVE / Croatia, which starts its first EU presidency stint in January, is "not quite happy" with Finland's proposal for the EU's seven-year budget and will seek to amend the proposal in order to preserve funding for Cohesion and the Common Agricultural Policy, the country's Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman told EURACTIV.

Leftist MEP: EU left should in ‘no way’ turn its back on agriculture’s digitisation

The European left should under no circumstances turn its back on the digital transition of agriculture and give the floor to neoliberal political forces to further “marginalise” smallholders, Petros Kokkalis, a leftist MEP, told EURACTIV.com in an interview.

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.

FAO official: ‘Veganism is certainly not for everyone’

Veganism is certainly not for everyone, particularly when it comes to mother and children, as it is deficient in some important minerals and vitamins, Henning Steinfeld, an official from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), told EURACTIV in an interview.

Bas Eickhout: EU carbon market needs alignment with 2050 goal

The next European Commission will have to reopen the Emissions Trading Scheme directive if it is serious about reaching carbon neutrality by 2050, argues Bas Eickhout, warning the next Commission chief will need to find a broader majority in the European Parliament than his predecessor.

Hogan: No risk of re-nationalising the next CAP

Although member states will play a greater role in the future EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), it will not lose its 'Common' dimension as the Commission will continue to watch over the implementation of national plans, Commissioner Phil Hogan told EURACTIV.com in an interview.

Hogan urges Czech farmers to invest in processing agri-products to boost competitiveness

Czech farmers have to invest more in processing agricultural products if they want to improve their position in an increasingly competitive environment, EU Commissioner Phil Hogan said in an interview with Aktuálně.cz.

Greek minister: CAP budget should be maintained to ensure agriculture sustainability

If a proper balance between resources and obligations in the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is not achieved, the future of the EU agriculture and countryside will be uncertain, said Greek agriculture minister Stavros Arachovitis.

Campaigner: Short food supply chain is more than selling local products

Short food supply chains have a multidimensional role to play. They can help revitalise European farms by encouraging young people to work the land, but they also provide cheap and healthy food to consumers and attract tourists, campaigner Geneviève Savigny told EURACTIV.com in an interview.

Bayer boss: Digital farming-sustainable production link ‘not yet clear’ to policymakers

The connection between digital farming and sustainable production is not yet clear in the minds of many policymakers, Bayer’s Bruno Tremblay told EURACTIV.com in an interview, adding that some farmers look at this kind of innovation as a way to control them.

Hogan: EU member states will decide on agriculture innovation after 2020, not Brussels

Member states and not the European Commission will direct the precise support and funding for innovation and digitisation of farming in the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan told EURACTIV Romania in an interview.  

Czech farmers most affected by CAP budget cuts, warns agri-expert

Cuts to post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) funds will severely affect the Czech Republic, according to agriculture analyst Petr Havel who spoke to EURACTIV Czech Republic’s media partner, Aktualne.cz.  

Corteva boss: ‘Mother Nature’ changes the game quickly and demands new agricultural tools

“Mother Nature” is changing quickly and this requires the adoption of technology-driven solutions that will help both growers and consumers, Jim Collins, the chief operating officer of Corteva Agriscience, the Agriculture Division of DowDuPont, told EURACTIV.

Copernicus chief defends role of satellites in CAP’s ‘control’ system

The EU will launch a new satellite this week as part of the ‘Copernicus’ initiative. The earth observation programme has proved to be useful in dealing with natural disasters and its importance will grow to manage EU funds including the Common Agricultural Policy after 2020, director Philippe Brunet said.

Hogan: Post-2020 CAP will ensure level playing field across EU

EU farmers should not fear a “re-nationalisation” scenario for the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy as the Commission is set to give member states more powers to implement their own CAP national plans, Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan told EURACTIV. But the...