IFA president Tim Cullinan. \ Philip Doyle
Any attempt to exclude meat products from EU agri-food promotion would be a betrayal of one of Europe’s most significant indigenous sectors, IFA president Tim Cullinan has said.
Cullinan was reacting to comments made by the Commission’s director general of agriculture Wolfgang Burtscher in his address to members of the parliament’s agriculture committee on the EU’s agri-food promotion policy.
The Commission cited the Eurobarometer study of EU citizens and coherence to other EU policies as central to the future promotional policy review. Burtscher was reminded that the Farm to Fork Strategy is not yet an implemented regulation.
The German federal parliament (Bundestag) is to decide whether agroforestry will be recognised as a form of land use in the future, which would make the practice eligible for funding in the national strategic plan under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). EURACTIV Germany reports.
In agroforestry, forests can be combined with arable crops and land used for livestock. This means that both trees and crops can grow on the same piece of land and/or livestock pasture can be created there.
To date, this form of land use has not been recognised in the main subsidies programme. As a result, farmers can practice agroforestry voluntarily but they do not receive any CAP subsidies for it.
Digitalisation for the benefit of the environment: Council approves conclusions
The Council today approved conclusions addressing the twin societal challenge of digital transformation and green transition and exploring ways to contribute to building the necessary bridges between them.
The Council underlines in its conclusions the potential of the twin transition for new green and digital job creation necessary for the economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. It also stresses that the digital transition should be fair and inclusive and should leave no one behind.
Digitalisation is an excellent lever to accelerate the transition towards a climate-neutral, circular and more resilient economy. At the same time, we must put the appropriate policy framework in place to avoid adverse effects of digitalisation on the environment. These conclusions reflect in a balanced way where the EU needs to act to make the most of this twin transition.