EEB and BirdLife assessment shows that draft national strategic plans for agriculture fall short of the environmental imperative

The European Member States are drafting their CAP Strategic Plans (CSPs), due to be submitted to the European Commission at the end of the year.

The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) and BirdLife conducted a survey in 22 out of the 27 EU countries on how the new CAP Strategic Plans (CSPs) intend to deliver on the new CAP objectives. The result is a snapshot expert assessment against 7 key criteria of the EEB’s 10 Tests for a Green Deal-compatible CAP, which indicates that what's being decided at the national level is not going in the right direction for the new CAP.

The seven key criteria are:

1. Space for Nature - CAP strategic plans lack sufficient and measures to provide the 10% space for nature on every farm.

2. Protection of Grasslands - Based on the information we have gathered, there is little protection of grasslands.

3. Protection of Peatlands and Wetlands - Drained peatlands used in #agriculture only cover 3% of agri land but are responsible for 5% of the total GHG emissions. These soils are crucial carbon sinks, yet no EU country plans strong action to restore them.

4. Money for Biodiversity Protection - The proposed voluntary management schemes (e.g. eco-schemes) in most countries are not sufficient or lack funding to stop biodiversity loss.

5. Money for Climate Action - The new CAP will deliver no reduction in emissions! In that sense it is no different to the current CAP and its €100bn of “climate spending”.

6. Harmful Subsidies - 18 out of 22 (or 82%) countries are worried about environmentally harmful subsidies in their national SPs. Member states need to take better measures against harmful subsidies.

7. Involvement of Environmental NGOs - Public consultations are a crucial accountability tool for citizens and NGOs. Environmental NGOs are right to feel left out and deprived of their right to participation in the designing of the CAP strategic plans.

The new CAP is in trouble and not fit enough to set agriculture on the sustainability path. MEPs must vote this new CAP down because one-third of the EU budget and the EU citizens’ money cannot be spent on environmentally harmful subsidies.

On 24 November, the European Parliament is set to approve the final deal on the new post-2022 CAP, agreed in June 2021.

On 25th November 2021 another joint EEB and BirdLife study provides an analysis of eco-schemes on how countries intend to use this new instrument in the CAP.

For more information, please follow the link: https://meta.eeb.org/2021/11/17/the-empty-green-tin-of-the-new-cap/