Agriculture ministers from the EU member states have reached an agreement on reforming the Common Agricultural Policy. The deal, several years in the making, will place a bigger focus on environmental protection.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/V. Heinz
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EU member states announced Wednesday morning in Luxembourg that they had come to an agreement over reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Talks lasted almost two days before agriculture ministers were able to reach an agreement following a proposal by German Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner.
The CAP allocates billions of euros and as such constitutes the biggest share of the EU's budget, roughly a third of the EU's €1.1-trillion ($1.3-trillion) budget for 2021-2027. Many farmers depend on money from Brussels in order to stay in business.
Irrigation systems to secure harvests
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A long time in the works
"After a long and hard struggle, we've reached a milestone," Klöckner said in a live press conference following the finalization of the agreement.
She welcomed the new agreement on environmental protections while also ensuring that people in the EU would still be able to "put food on the table."
Klöckner celebrated the deal with an announcement on Twitter, saying "we made it. A milestone for a reorientation of EU agriculture, with green architecture at its core. For Germany, this means €1 billion of our budget will be used for ecological rules/biomeasures, while at the same time maintaining a balance with income and food security."
European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski also announced the agreement on Twitter and thanked the "German Presidency for its efforts to take forward the work of the former Presidencies and for tabling compromise proposals."
Under the new proposal, member states will have a greater level of freedom over how they achieve the agreed-upon goals regarding the conservation of nature, environmental protection and ensuring food quality.
States will have to send their policy plans to be approved by the European Commission. States must also offer further "eco-schemes" which go beyond the obligatory environmental protections — any farmer who follows these voluntary rules will be given extra funds.
The new reform would come into effect in 2023 and include a two-year "learning period." But first, EU countries will have to come to an agreement with the European Parliament and the European Commission on the rules. Parliament is voting on the policy later this week.
ab/aw (AFP, dpa)
Europe's crops of the future?
Climate change will force European farmers to adapt to new growing conditions in the coming decades. How — and where — these five crops are cultivated could change the face of the EU's agricultural sector.
Image: picture-alliance/Eventpress/Stauffenberg
Wine from the north
As northern regions warm, winegrowers have moved into places like Denmark and the UK, among them Ryedale Vineyards in England. The EU-funded VISCA app, now being tested in Spain, Italy and Portugal, aims to help vineyards that are starting to feel the effects of a warming climate. Adaption strategies include precise irrigation, drought-resistant grapes and pruning techniques that influence growth.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/J. Giles
Sorghum revival
Sorghum, a hot weather grain, has been cultivated in Europe since just after World War II, primarily as animal fodder. But with increasing droughts it has started to see a resurgence in countries like France, Italy, Hungary and Bulgaria. A staple in Africa, sorghum uses 30% less water than corn and can produce grains even in high temperatures. The EU has been promoting the plant since 2017.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Rumpenhorst
Adapting olives
Europe's olive oil industry, led by Spain, Italy and Greece, produces about three-quarters of global supply. But drought, erratic weather like hail, as well as warm-weather pests and diseases have become detrimental. 2018 was a particularly bad year: Italy's production dropped 57%. Improved irrigation techniques, selective pruning and a gradual northward shift could help olive groves adapt.
Image: picture-alliance/ROPI/Mollo/Fotogramma
Trying out pistachios
Some farmers in Spain and Italy have begun cultivating pistachios, drought-resistant nut trees which are suited to arid areas with lots of sun. Today, most of the world's pistachios are grown in Iran and California, but other parts of southern Europe share the same ideal conditions: cold winters, very hot summers and late frosts.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Farnsworth
Putting papaya first
Other alternatives for farmers in southern Europe are tropical fruits, including mango, avocado, lychee and papaya. Recent years have seen an exponential growth of such crops in southern Italy. They've begun to edge out citrus fruits, which are no longer the moneymakers they once were. Milder winters have been beneficial, but water shortages in the summer months remain a challenge.
