EU Ombudsman Investigates Legality of Farm Subsidy Amendments
Source: DairyNews.today
The EU ombudsman has initiated an inquiry into the European Commission's emergency amendments to agricultural subsidies, following widespread farmers' protests across Europe earlier this year.
According to a report from Reuters, environmental law charity ClientEarth and BirdLife raised concerns regarding the legality of these swift changes, which affect €386 billion ($429 billion) in farming subsidies for the 2023-2027 period.
ClientEarth and BirdLife argue that the amendments have weakened environmental protections, posing a significant risk to the future of sustainable farming. The NGOs filed a formal complaint to the ombudsman in July, claiming that the Commission bypassed its legal obligations by failing to conduct a climate assessment prior to implementing the subsidy changes.
The NGOs are seeking a "finding of maladministration" and assert that the Commission's actions contravened EU law. In response, the ombudsman launched an inquiry in August and recently sent a list of questions to the European Commission, which has been given until December 16 to provide its response.
While the ombudsman can investigate complaints, it lacks enforcement powers. However, this inquiry has spotlighted the growing tension between agricultural interests and environmental goals within the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), a critical issue for the future of farming in the region.
As this situation develops, the Commission's handling of the complaint and its approach to balancing farmer support with environmental sustainability will be under close scrutiny.
ClientEarth and BirdLife argue that the amendments have weakened environmental protections, posing a significant risk to the future of sustainable farming. The NGOs filed a formal complaint to the ombudsman in July, claiming that the Commission bypassed its legal obligations by failing to conduct a climate assessment prior to implementing the subsidy changes.
The NGOs are seeking a "finding of maladministration" and assert that the Commission's actions contravened EU law. In response, the ombudsman launched an inquiry in August and recently sent a list of questions to the European Commission, which has been given until December 16 to provide its response.
While the ombudsman can investigate complaints, it lacks enforcement powers. However, this inquiry has spotlighted the growing tension between agricultural interests and environmental goals within the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), a critical issue for the future of farming in the region.
As this situation develops, the Commission's handling of the complaint and its approach to balancing farmer support with environmental sustainability will be under close scrutiny.
23.09.2024
Carbon emissions in global milk production - the elephant in the room
I have been thinking to make this post yes/ no. I decided for yes and like to ask everyone to not "shoot the messenger". The chart shows an analysis of IFCN Dairy Research Network from the 2024 supporter conference in Poland.
