FARM TO FORK STRATEGY: Member States call for a new revision of SUR
November was marked by the Commission communication on fertilizers whose aim is to face the consequences of the skyrocketing prices for this agricultural input for farmers.
On the legislative dossiers, the revision of the sustainable use of pesticides has also been affected by the current crisis and the consequences of the Russian aggression to Ukraine, having an important group of member States calling for the Commission to reconsider its proposal and demanding a new Impact Assessment that considers the new situation. Mid-December, the Council adopted a formal decision asking the Commission to improve its impact assessment within a maximum period of 6 months.
The Commission also advanced ideas on the Carbon certification dossier, specifying that this certification will be granted to farms that put into practice activities that have neutral or positive impact on the environment, create a net gain in CO2 presence in the atmosphere, are additional, aim to be long-term, and are monitored.
Over the month of December, animal welfare standards have been discussed at the EU level. The EU ministers informally find an agreement on the fact that if higher standards will be applied to animals raised in the EU, so will the ones be coming from third countries (‘mirror clauses’). To set the basis for the revision of the EU legislation on the matter, the Commission presented an evaluation of the current law, concluding that the current set-up does not allow to meet current and future needs.
December also marked a provisional institutional agreement over deforestation law. Once adopted and applied, the new law will ensure that a set of key goods placed on the EU market will no longer contribute to deforestation and forest degradation.
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