Member States now have the freedom to restrict or ban the cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on their territory under new co-existence guidelines as part of a new package of legislative and non-legislative measures adopted by the Commission on 13 July.

Last month, Friends of the Earth Europe organised a conference in the European Parliament on ‘Measuring Europe’s Resource Use: A vital tool in creating a resource efficient EU’. A full write up of the conference is now available.

MEPs voted in favour of George Lyon’s own-initiative report on the future of the CAP at a Plenary session in Strasbourg on 8 July. The report was adopted following an additional last minute amendment broadening the issues that should be defined as public goods to include food security and food safety.

Staged against a backdrop of European milk producer protests, recommendations from the Commission’s High Level Group on Dairy sparked the only major discussion point at the first Agriculture Council under the Belgium Presidency.

A new report launched by BirdLife International finds that current CAP spending intensity is not reflecting any nature conservation priorities nor supporting nature-friendly farms in three key European countries.

A new report released by the European Environment Agency (EEA) highlights the upcoming CAP reform as an important opportunity to address the existing shortcomings of the agricultural sector in terms of biodiversity.

This IEEP paper for the Land Use Policy Group (LUPG) sets out the key issues and questions that need to be considered for the establishment of a Sustainable Production Agenda for Europe and explores the implications of these issues for the development of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the period 2013 – 2020.

Agriculture Ministers had a quiet final gathering under the Spanish Presidency in June’s Agriculture Council held in Luxembourg, where discussions focused on the reopening of negotiations between the EU and the Mercosur bloc, the authorisation of 6 genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and CAP simplification.

This IEEP paper for the Land Use Policy Group's (LUPG) examines a range of transitional arrangements that could facilitate a shift in the basis of CAP payments away from the current system of support, towards one based on a rationale more focused on the provision of environmental goods and services.

This IEEP paper for the Land Use Policy Group's (LUPG) evaluates the case for using state intervention to reverse existing environmental degradation and deliver improvements, before focusing specifically on the rationale for intervening at the European level.

The UK’s Committee on Climate Change has just released a report which recognizes the importance of the agriculture sector in achieving emissions reductions.

Agriculture Ministers met for two days of informal talks on 30 May – 1 June, in Merida, Spain, which afforded an opportunity for discussion over their respective positions ahead of the publication of the Commission’s Communication on a post-2013 CAP.

A new study has been published evaluating the impact that halting direct payments to farmers might have on the viability of farms in the EU-25.

The online public debate on the future of the CAP launched by Commissioner Mr Ciolos in April has been extended by one week to now end 11 June.

Three own-initiative MEP papers were adopted at a mini plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels on 5 – 6 May. The reports, on agriculture in Less Favoured Areas (LFAs), the Animal Welfare Action Plan and EU agriculture and climate change were drafted by MEPs Herbert Dorfmann, Marit Paulsen and Stéphane Le Foll, respectively.

This IEEP paper for the Land Use Policy Group's (LUPG) evaluates the case for using state intervention to reverse existing environmental degradation and deliver improvements, before focusing specifically on the rationale for intervening at the European level.

This IEEP paper for the Land Use Policy Group's (LUPG) examines a range of transitional arrangements that could facilitate a shift in the basis of CAP payments away from the current system of support, towards one based on a rationale more focused on the provision of environmental goods and services.

This IEEP paper for the Land Use Policy Group (LUPG) sets out the key issues and questions that need to be considered for the establishment of a Sustainable Production Agenda for Europe and explores the implications of these issues for the development of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the period 2013 – 2020.

A UK Government report analysing the price spikes for agricultural commodities in 2007/08, concludes that these were exacerbated by poorly performing markets. Authors argue for a further opening up of the international agricultural market and specifically, for the EU to “phase out agricultural subsidies such as Pillar 1 of the CAP" over market intervention protecting consumers.