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Policy updates

Stay up to date with the latest policy development and legislation in the EU related to climate, agriculture, and sustainable land-use through our Policy updates and Alerts.

In a collaboration with the Lund Profile area Nature based Future solutions and the Universities in South Sweden Brussels office, CEC is monitoring the development of policy, strategies, visions, and legislation connected to climate, agriculture - the upcoming CAP period specifically - and forestry. The aim is to support societal relevance in research applications and projects, increase Lund University's visibility as a knowledge actor in Brussels, and contribute to evidence-informed policymaking via knowledge documentation and timely expert support to policymakers at both national and EU level.


NOTE that the Updates and Alerts are not critically assessing or commenting on the developments, it is a summary of the developments, as a starting point for assessments.
 

Have your say

The Commission often seeks feedback on initiatives or upcoming legal acts they have implemented or are under construction, and here you can provide feedback. Individuals and businesses are welcome to provide feedback. In the column “stage,” there is a list of which stage the initiative is in, where you can choose “call for evidence “public consultation” or if you want to prepare for initiatives that will be published choose “draft” or “in preparation.” 

Link to Have your say (ec.europa.eu)

 

Expert Group Register

The calls consist of advertisements from various expert groups in different directorates where they ask researchers to apply in the hope of broadening their scientific horizons. You can apply to these expert groups in two ways: the first option is to apply as an individual who wants to be appointed in a personal capacity. The second option is to apply as an individual representing a common interest or organization; however, you must be registered in the "Transparency Register" to apply for this type of membership. Members are appointed for three years. All application rounds mentioned below, and others, are available on the portal. This portal also has a subscription service where you can click on what you are looking for and receive notifications about it. 

Link to Expert Group Register (ec.europa.eu)
 

European Parliamentary Research Service- EPRS

This is the European Parliament's research service and think tank, they also have an app where you can customize your notifications. The EPRS is tasked with serving the parliamentarians, and if necessary, the committees, with independent, objective, and reliable analyses and research on political issues concerning the European Union to assist them in their parliamentary work. The EPRS offers a comprehensive range of products and services, supported by internal specialists and knowledge sources in all political areas, to empower members and committees with knowledge and contribute to the effectiveness and influence of the parliament as an institution. Additionally, the EPRS works to communicate the parliament's work to the public and has facilitated this by making it easy to customize subscriptions from them. 

Link to European Parliamentary Research Service (europarl.europa.eu)

 

The Legislative Train

The Legislative Train Schedule animated tool monitors progress on the main legislative files in the five-year-term of the current European Parliament. This is where you can follow the progress of legislative files, and find out the status in the priority area you are interested in.

Link to the Legislative Train Schedule (europarl.europa.eu)

In this update:

  • The European Commissions forthcoming Vison on Agriculture & food
  • The Nature Restoration Law: The restoration of marine and freshwater ecosystems
  • Brussels dialogue meetings
  • Highlights from the Council of the EU
  • Highlights from the Committees in the European Parliament
  • Recommended briefings from the European Parliament Think Tank 

Policy Update 20241219 (pdf, 212 kb, this link opens a new window)

  • In this update:
  • Europe’s Choice: Political Guidelines for the next European Commission 2024−2029
  • Strategic Dialogue on the future of EU agriculture: A shared prospect for farming and food in Europe
  • The future of European competitiveness: Report by Mario Draghi
  • Next College of Commissioners
  • Highlights from the Council of the EU
  • Highlights from the Committees in the European Parliament
  • Recommended briefings from the European Parliament Think Tank 

Policy Update 241007 (pdf, 347 kb, this link opens a new window)

In this update:

  • Nature Restoration Law
  • Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy
  • Waste framework directive: Council set to start talks on its revision
  • New European Policy Priorities, the Council perspective 

Policy Update 20240711 (pdf, 269 kb, this link opens a new window)

In this update: 

  • Common Agricultural Policy: Overview
    • What are the different party groups in the EU saying?
    • Other Reactions: Farmers and NGOs
  • Nature Restoration Law – Latest updates
    • Lack of support from member states
    • Environment Council, 17 June 

Policy Update 20240603 (pdf, 466 kb, this link opens a new window)

The European Board on Agriculture and Food appoints its members, following the Strategic
Dialogue on the future of EU agriculture

The European Commission has appointed thirty member organisations to join the European Board on Agriculture and Food (EBAF). These organisations represent the rural and farming community, other actors active in the food supply chain, and civil society, such as environment and climate, animal welfare and consumer protection groups. The selected organisations demonstrate expertise in areas relevant to agriculture and food at Union level and display a wide geographical representativeness across Member States. The first meeting of the Board, chaired by Commissioner for Food and Agriculture, Christophe Hansen, will take place on 4 February. President von der Leyen said: “With the creation of a European Board on Agriculture and Food, we implement one of the key recommendations of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture, which I launched last year. The new culture of consultation and dialogue will live on.” Commissioner Hansen said: “I would like to congratulate the organisations selected to join our new European Board on Agriculture and Food. I look forward to benefitting from their advice and practical experience in shaping our agricultural policies. I also encourage members to continue talking to each other and to maintain the spirit of consensus fostered by the Strategic Dialogue. In our common interest, we must put behind us the polarised discussions and work together for the future.”

The European Board on Agriculture and Food (EBAF) was set up on 5 December 2024 and will provide high-level advice to the Commission on the follow-up of the report of the Strategic Dialogue on the future of EU agriculture. It will also contribute to the work on the Vision for Agriculture and Food, to be presented within the first one hundred days of the mandate. This Advisory Board aims at sustaining a new culture of dialogue, trust and multistakeholder participation among farmers, the actors of the food supply chain and civil society, as well as with the Commission.

More information is available online (link to agriculture.ec.europa.eu)
 

The Commission would like to hear your views on its proposal for a regulation on cooperation among enforcement authorities responsible for the enforcement of Directive (EU) 2019/633 on unfair trading practices in business-to-business relationships in the agricultural and food supply chain

The experience of enforcement authorities is that gathering information, finding an infringement, and imposing and enforcing fines and other equally effective penalties can be difficult where the buyer is located in another Member State. The ability of the enforcement authorities to cooperate in such cases should therefore be strengthened. Closing the enforcement gap aims a strengthening farmers’ position in the supply chain. To address this challenge the Commission put forward a reflection paper on 15 March 2024 in which it announced a set of measures intended to enhance the position of farmers in the food supply chain. A stand-alone legal act introducing new rules on cross-border enforcement of the Directive was included in the set of measures that the Commission announced.

Feedback period: 13 January 2025 - 10 March 2025 (midnight Brussels time)

Give feedback via the European Commission portal: Have your say - Public Consultations and Feedback: Link to ec.europa.eu
 

Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture delivers its final report to President von
der Leyen

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen received today the final report of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture, handed over by the group's chair, Professor Peter Strohschneider. Entitled “A shared prospect for farming and food in Europe,” the report presents an assessment of challenges and opportunities, followed by a set of recommendations. These suggestions will guide the work of the European Commission when shaping its Vision for Agriculture and Food, to be delivered in the first one hundred days of President von der Leyen's second mandate.

The recommendations detailed in the report are structured in five pillars:

  • Working together for a sustainable, resilient and competitive future: this part addresses the need to adapt the CAP in the context of the ongoing transition towards more sustainable and competitive food systems, the importance of strengthening of farmers' position in the food value chain, access to finance, and the role of trade and international standards.
  • Advancing towards sustainable agri-food systems: the recommendations under this heading dive into the support and promotion of sustainable farming practices, including for livestock farming, and advocate for increased awareness about animal welfare and empowerment of consumers to choose sustainable and balanced diets.
  • Promoting transformative resilience: in the face of growing environmental, climate, geopolitical and economic risks, the report outlines the need to strengthen risk management tools and crisis management as well as to better preserve and manage farmland, promote water-resilient agriculture, and develop innovative plant breeding approaches.
  • Building an attractive and diverse sector: the importance of generational renewal and gender equality as well as vibrant rural areas and agri-food systems is detailed in this section, including the need to protect workers.
  • Better access to and use of knowledge and innovation: the recommendations conclude that access to knowledge and skills must be facilitated, and that digitalisation is an opportunity.

The report produced by the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture is addressed to the European Commission, the European Parliament, Member States, and stakeholders.

Link to press release (ec.europa.eu)

Link to report and Executive summary (ec.europa.eu)

 

Contact

CEC Research coordinator
Marianne Hall
marianne [dot] hall [at] cec [dot] lu [dot] se (marianne[dot]hall[at]cec[dot]lu[dot]se)
+46 73 046 16 73

Manager of research development
Yann Clough
yann [dot] clough [at] cec [dot] lu [dot] se (yann[dot]clough[at]cec[dot]lu[dot]se)
+46 46 222 68 31 

Purple and yellow flowers. Photo.