News 25.04.2024

EU Parliament gives greenlight to dangerous CAP changes

  • politics and law
  • Transparency and food safety
PiyawatNandeenoparit/AdobeStock

On 24th of April a majority of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) supported the European Commission proposal to amend the EU Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) by removing important environmental conditionalities to the receipt of EU subsidies.

These changes will have long-lasting negative effects for the future of farming, including increasingly damaging our ecosystems, locking farmers into the use of toxic substances (such as pesticides and fertilisers), putting their health and that of consumers in danger, and undermining the long-term economic benefits of a transition towards sustainable practices.

The outcome of today’s vote is a sellout of the few sustainability measures in EU’s agriculture policy and is in total disconnect with citizens’ demands to tackle the urgencies of climate change and biodiversity loss.
Jörg Rohwedder Executive Director foodwatch International

Securing von der Leyen's reappointment as Commission President 

The push to amend the CAP, led by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, is widely seen as a response to extensive farmer protests across Europe. But these changes are aimed more at securing reappointment than at addressing the pressing needs of climate change and biodiversity conservation.

Concerning fast-tracked decision-making

The proposal for CAP amendments presented by the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was formally introduced by the Commission services on 15th March 2024. Following swift support from national capitals, it was pushed through the European Parliament decision-making process without full scrutiny (the committee in charge of environmental matters was bypassed). 

Together with numerous civil society groups, foodwatch has criticised this process for bypassing established democratic scrutiny procedures and has called on the proposal to be withdrawn.
 

Go vote at European elections!

Consumers and citizens have to keep active and have their say at the June European elections. It is more important than ever to elect representatives who are working for the public interest and not the interest of a handful of lobbyists.
 

Sources and further information 

European Parliament: Vote outcome on the Commission Proposal: 425 in favour, 130 against, 33 abstentions