To discuss ways to accelerate action on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for a sustainable recovery, the EESC Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment held a debate. The debaje has turned around the Europe Sustainable Development Report 2020. The report is a joint initiative by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and […]
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Support for the Andalusian agricultural sector
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Junta de Andalucía have joined forces once again to support and promote the development of Andalusia’s agricultural sector, which in addition to historically facing a funding gap of over €1 billion a year, has also been affected by factors including Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic. The EU bank […]
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Artificial meet: from lab to fork, a sustainable alternative
Globally, the consumption of animal-based foods is expected to increase in the coming decades because of the combined effects of several global megatrends. The global population increased from 2.5 billion in 1950 to 7.7 billion in mid-2019 and is expected to reach 9.7 billion people in 2050 (UN, 2019). Meanwhile, global economic development, urbanisation and […]
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Council agrees its position on the next EU common agricultural policy
Today, the Council agreed its negotiating position (general approach) on the post-2020 common agricultural policy (CAP) reform package. This agreed position puts forward some strong commitments from member states for higher environmental ambition with instruments like mandatory eco-schemes (a novelty compared to the current policy) and enhanced conditionality. At the same time, the agreed position […]
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Results from the last EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council
Last 21 September, Ministers met in Brussels and advanced discussions on the post 2020 common agriculture policy (CAP) reform package in the view of adopting the Council’s general approach in October 2020. They also discussed trade-related agricultural issues with a particular focus on recent and upcoming negotiations of free trade agreements with third countries. One […]
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Commission prepares new initiatives to boost the organic farming sector
The European Commission has today launched a public consultation on its future Action Plan on Organic Farming. It is a priority for the Commission to ensure that the organic farming sector has the right tools in place as well as a well-functioning and consensual legal framework which is key to achieving the objective of 25% […]
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AU-EU agrifood platform: reinforcing the link between the EU and African private sectors
Ahead of its official launch, introductory talks on the African Union-European Union agri-food platform was held on 25 June 2020 during an online event organised by the European Commission, the African Union and European Business Ghana. The participants set the scene, assessed the platform’s aims and highlighted the role of farmers and rural youth in […]
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Needs of farmers and agri-food companies are significant, also in light of the COVID-19 crisis
Needs of farmers and agri-food companies are significant, also in light of the COVID-19 crisis, and EAFRD funded financial instruments have a role to play in bridging these gaps Based on the feedback of 7,600 farmers and 2,200 agri-food companies across the EU, 24 country-specific fi-compass reports present the main challenges faced by these two groups […]
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Coronavirus: Commission announces further measures to support the agri-food sector
The European Commission announces a new set of measures to help the agri-food sector in this unparalleled crisis, following the outbreak of the Coronavirus. The Coronavirus response investment initiative plus (CRII+) proposed today by the European Commission introduces exceptional flexibility and simplification in the use of the European structural investment funds (ESIF), including the European agricultural fund […]
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