After farmers' protests

EU Commission makes exceptions for small farms

The EU Commission and the EU Parliament are making concessions to farmers following the protests.

(Bild: P. Huber)

Following farmers' protests in several European countries, the EU Commission proposed massive concessions to farmers (see video above). Small farms with less than ten hectares will no longer face penalties if they do not comply with EU rules.

They are also to be exempt from inspection visits. Further exemptions are planned for environmental requirements. In detail, requirements for crop rotation and the cultivation of catch crops are to be relaxed. Farms are to be allowed to convert more meadowland into arable land, which should benefit livestock farmers in particular, for example if they want to switch to cereal cultivation due to declining income. Furthermore, according to the EU Commission, a regulation for the minimum proportion of fallow land on arable land should remain suspended.

A farmer working in the fields

(Bild: P. Huber)

Decision possible in April
The Council of the 27 member states had already waved through the concessions at the end of March using the fast-track procedure. The European Parliament has now also voted in favor of a fast-track procedure, which means that no further consultations are necessary. A final decision could be made this month. The majority of the simplifications are to apply from next year, some retroactively from January 1, 2024.

However, not everyone is happy with this. On Thursday, activists from the environmental protection organization Greenpeace protested in front of the European Parliament building in Brussels. Nature conservation on farms is not the problem at all, but the cheap prices of large agricultural and food companies. "Farmers are right to be angry," said Marco Contiero from Greenpeace.