The first Agriculture and Fisheries Council under the Croatian Presidency

The first Agriculture and Fisheries Council under the Croatian Presidency was held on 27 January 2020. CAP transitional rules and the agricultural aspects of the European Green Deal were at the top of the agenda which also covered animal welfare labelling, the African swine fever and honey labelling.

In the vision of the European Commission, the CAP and the Farm to Fork strategy for sustainable food are “the main tools to help farmers and fishermen fight climate change, protect the environment and preserve biodiversity”. Setting up transitional rules for the next CAP appears to be essential to support European farmers and their families, especially considering that the new strategic plans will not be able to apply from January 2021 as originally scheduled.

The CAP reform is one of the four main priorities of the Croatian Presidency which pushes for greater flexibility and simplification of rules while bearing in mind the Member States’ different farming realities. The new CAP will therefore need to be aligned with the needs of all Member States as well as with the common environmental and climate goals.

It is indeed under the European Commission’s proposals that 40% of the next CAP’s overall budget is to be dedicated to climate action.