Briefings

PAN Europe recognises that EUs Common Agricultural Policy contains instruments like the Farm Advisory System and the European Innovative Partnership which can help to inform, train, and advise farmers. We nevertheless consider that huge steps need to be achieved before these tools become effectively operational. We also consider that these tools standing alone will not be able to encourage the transition that the European model of farming so desperately needs.

Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is an issue of concern, particularly for our children and future generations. Exposure to such chemicals during early life developmental stages, even at low environmental doses, may result in permanent physiological alterations and lead to dysfunction and disease later in life. In humans, the rise of endocrine-related cancers, metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes, cognition deficits and learning disabilities, reproductive problems and infertility have been linked to exposure to EDCs.

The next CAP needs to encourage a much needed transition allowing farmers to start seriously working with nature. The CAP should incentivize farmers to progressively adopt agronomic practices to strengthen soil health and to create landscape features attracting predators of crop pests and stimulating the presence of pollinators.

Chlorpyrifos is one of the most widely used pesticides in Europe. Exposure to this pesticide, even in small doses, can harm children’s brain development and function of their hormonal system. As European regulators are deciding whether or not to re-approve the use of this harmful pesticide, this briefing brings together the data available on the contamination of fruit with chlorpyrifos, highlighting the need to put the health of our children first and remove this toxic chemical from the market.

This reflection paper aims to show how Member States could use the current proposal for a reformed Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to develop a results-based approach that encourages the much-needed ecological transition with the lowest possible increases in administrative burden for Member States, and with minimal changes in farmers’ mindsets.

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We urge AGRI Members to support alternative Compromise Amendment (CA) 10 on Annex III, containing the conditionality rules – and to firmly reject the rapporteur’s CA. The rapporteur’s CA on Annex III weakens conditionality; e.g. in GAEC 9 it removes the obligation to devote a minimum share of agricultural area to so-called ‘non-productive features’. We consider that non-productive features are crucial for reversing biodiversity loss and can, under certain conditions, improve a farmer’s yields, for instance when providing fodder for pollinators.

Against the backdrop of several shortcomings in the implementation and application of the WFD, PAN Europe and PAN Germany urge Member States as well as the European Commission to put in place a more consistent approach to fulfil the legal requirements for the protection of our aquatic ecosystems. At this stage, there is no need to revise the WFD, but there is an urgent need to better implement its provisions. The collapse of biodiversity is taking place at a worrying pace and strong measures need to be taken to protect European waters.

Monitoring EU SUD compliance in Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands:

PAN’s suggestions for better future auditing and implementation

In 2017, the European Commission, the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, and Directorate F for Health and Food Audit Analyses (HFAA), undertook six fact-finding missions to evaluate the implementation of the EU Directive on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides (SUD).

PAN Europe's position on the proposal for a New Delivery Model for the CAP after 2020

This position paper responds to the legislative proposals on the CAP strategic plans released by the European Commission on 1st June 2018, with a focus on pesticide use, while also proposing fundamental improvements in the CAP to encourage the much-needed agro-ecological transition. 

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