Objective: to maximize the production capacity of the EU for cereals against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine… This Friday, the European Commission gave the green light to extend in 2023 derogations on the environmental rules for fallow land and crop rotation .

These derogations from the rules of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), insistently demanded by the Member States, could make it possible "to put 1.5 million hectares back into cultivation compared to today", underlined the Commission.

Already a temporary derogation for the year 2022

To compensate for the lack of Russian and Ukrainian cereals, the Commission had already validated in March a “temporary” derogation for the year 2022 from its rules on fallow land with the authorization of “any crop intended for food” on these lands. not cultivated.

The measure allowed, according to initial estimates from Brussels, an increase in areas of protein crops by 6% (2.2 million additional hectares), but also those of sunflowers (+7.8%).

The EU also suspended its crop rotation requirements.

In the current CAP, farms larger than 15 hectares must have at least 5% of “areas of ecological interest” (meadows, hedges, fallow land) to benefit from European funds.

In the new CAP starting in January 2023, the requirement was to be at least 4% fallow (uncultivated land).

These rules are intended to preserve the quality and enrichment of the soil.

A conflict in Ukraine that poses the risk of a global shortage

The war between Ukraine and Russia, two major grain producers, has heightened threats of global shortages and famines, and tensions are expected to remain high despite Friday's deal to allow export grain stored in Black Sea ports.

“Every tonne of cereals produced in the EU will contribute to increasing global food security,” the Commission said.

The extension proposed by Brussels will have to be formally approved by the member states.

The Ministers of Agriculture of the Twenty-Seven have been demanding this decision for several months, with growing impatience, and farmers are already preparing their crop rotation plans for next year.

A derogation not without environmental impact

In mid-July, Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski reported persistent differences within the European executive, particularly because of the environmental impact.

While environmental NGOs vigorously denounce these derogations, the European Commission recalled on Friday its attachment to the “objectives of preserving the potential of soils and improving biodiversity”.

“The derogation is temporary and limited to what is strictly necessary to meet food security concerns (…) It excludes the planting of crops generally used for animal feed (corn and soy)”, assures Brussels, boasting “a careful balance.

Thanks to derogations on set-aside and an improvement in yields, European exports of protein crops should increase by 19% this year, the Commission estimated at the beginning of July.

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  • World

  • War in Ukraine

  • European Union (EU)

  • Agriculture

  • Cereals

  • Famine