EU to back binding 'green' farming policies

Countries in the European Union have agreed on Wednesday to set aside part of the bloc’s farming policy budget for 'green' schemes that protect the environment.

EU farm ministers clinched an early-morning deal on the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), touted as ‘a paradigm shift in European food policy’ after two years of trying to align the bloc's laws with its climate change commitments, while supporting farmers’ livelihoods.

The Council meeting was deemed as the “most important in a decade” by German agriculture minister Julia Klöckner, who chairs agricultural issues during Germany’s EU presidency.

According to Reuters, the agriculture policy as a whole will suck up roughly a third of the EU’s €1.1trn budget for 2021-22.

The budget will be split between direct payments to farmers and other support measures for rural development.

Around 20% of these payments to farmers will go exclusively towards green programmes. Farmers will not be able to access the cash for other purposes. According to Reuters, some campaigners said the 20% share for green schemes was too low.

The policy will kick in from 2023 and it will become binding from 2025.

The farming policy negotiations will continue as EU countries must now strike an agreement with the European Parliament and the European Commission on the rules. Parliament is voting on the policy throughout this week.