The European Commission is set to begin the adoption process of the National Strategic Plans for the first EU member states. The plans have had several setbacks following the war in Ukraine leading to changes due to concerns about food security. Through these plans, countries will set out how they intend to meet the 9 EU-wide objectives due to start in 2023 using Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) instruments while responding to the specific needs of their farmers and rural communities.
Five member states (Denmark, France, Portugal, Poland and Spain) have started the process of getting their plans officially approved by the EU Commission. Among the priorities put forward in the French Strategic Plan is a doubling of organic areas by 2027 and using CAP funding to support crop diversification and to plant hedges for biodiversity and carbon storage, while Poland's main change has been to double spending on animal welfare subsidies. The Spanish strategic plan includes €700 million per year for coupled payments to support sectors in difficulty such as livestock extensive farms, while funds for dairy cattle and goats will also be increased.
Of the remaining 19 member states yet to start the official approval process the Commission has said that all will be completed by the end of the year with several due to enter the process very soon.
The Irish Farmers Association has criticised the Irish draft plan due mainly to the fact that it includes plans to remove 25% of the Basic Payment to be used for new eco-schemes which they claim will mean that many beef, sheep and tillage farmers will find it difficult to continue.
The Commission aims to see 25% of EU land farmed organically by 2030 which is causing concerns for some member states including Romania who have said that it is a target that will be very difficult to achieve due to high food prices and input prices. The EU Commission has also recommended the Czech plan needs more focus on organic conversion.
The decision by the EU Commission to delay crop rotation and fallow land requirements within the new CAP for another year was broadly welcomed after 16 member states backed an extension to the principle of derogation. However, there are some elements of the new CAP still causing concerns for some member states. The legally binding targets to reduce the use and risk of chemical pesticides by 50% by 2030 and the use of more dangerous pesticides for each member state is of particular concern to Bulgaria claiming there is no accurate data on current use of these products and therefore such targets should be delayed until this data is available.
Other issues amongst several member states include the distribution of payments between different farm sizes and agricultural emissions.