- This article provides an update on last week’s piece Greening rules 2018: What’s happening and what do we know?
Encouragingly, MEPs voted to object to the proposed legislation, by 30 votes to 11 with one abstention.
The objection argued that the delegated act would threaten sustainable protein production in the EU, and that it went “well beyond a pure simplification and would have a fundamental impact on the implementation of the CAP”.
MEPs also criticised the EU executive for putting together 14 different rules into one single package, limiting their ability to differentiate between the favourable and the concerning elements.
Where does this leave us?
Commission position
The vote will clearly disappoint the Commission and agriculture commissioner Hogan, who during a recent NFU visit to Brussels reminded attendees that simplification of greening was a review of equal treatment / burden and undertaking to enhance biodiversity. The Commission had said that the proposed ban on plant protection products in EFAs was to maintain the objectives on greening – biodiversity.
The proposals will now be scrutinised by the full EU Parliament during the plenary session in June (12-15), before the deadline for parliament’s veto on June 15. There needs to be an absolute majority of 376 MEPs to vote in favour of the rejection – and that could be the stumbling point.
The question is whether the agriculture committee’s view will prevail. If it does, then the onus will be on the EU Parliament, EU Council and Commission to establish a compromise – referred to as trilog negotiations. Such negotiations could extend for two months, well into the summer.
It is clear at this stage that these legislative proposals are far from dead in the water.
NFU action
The NFU is supporting the work of our Brussels office in lobbying MEPs on this matter before the plenary vote. Work will continue with European farming organisation COPA to convince as many MEPs as possible to reject the proposal.
Our continuing concern is around when a decision will be known - will there be enough time to safely implement any changes (including the plant protection products ban) by 1 January 2018? That starts with crop establishment for 2018 harvest, for which planning is already well advanced for many of our members. Sowing gets closer by the week.
As a result of this continuing uncertainty, the NFU has warned members about the situation and advised them to plan accordingly. The NFU has also constantly called for any changes not known by now to be deferred and be implemented by 1 January 2019, should a ban on PPPs in field-based EFA options come into force.
The NFU will update the position after the EU Parliament’s plenary vote.