Meeting topics

The most important topics of the meeting on agriculture included:

• the implementation of the New EU Forest Strategy for 2030;
• the Communication from the Commission on ensuring availability and affordability  of fertilisers;
• a Proposal for a Regulation on nature restoration.

In the scope of fisheries-related issues, the EC presented its initiative for energy transition in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors and information on a strong and sustainable algae sector.

Implementation of the New EU Forest Strategy for 2030

The EU Agriculture Ministers discussed the issues related to the implementation of the New EU Forest Strategy for 2030. The Member States expressed their willingness and the need to enhance their involvement and cooperation with the European Commission in the implementation of the Strategy. Many Member States noted the need for better coordination and  a stronger role of the Standing Forestry Committee, as well the respect for the principle of subsidiarity in the area of forestry.

“In order to ensure that the Member States can more effectively implement the Forest Strategy, their opinions and proposals need to be taken into account. It is only the solutions which have been worked out together that will ensure a successful  implementation of the Forest Strategy at the national level,” Deputy Minister Ryszard Bartosik stressed.

In Poland’s opinion, the Standing Forestry Committee should remain the key forum for strengthening the effective cooperation between the Commission and the Member States. The separation of forest issues between the Agriculture Council and the Environment Council substantially contributes to the growing fragmentation of forest-related matters at the EU level.

The fragmentation of the issues produces adverse effects and, in consequence, leads to a lack of coherence among the objectives of different EU policies.

“An example of this is the use of wood biomass: on the one hand, we propose the substitution potential and effect of wood products as a renewable raw material of key importance for the circular economy, while, on the other hand, we strive to increase protected areas in forests, limiting wood harvesting as part of sustainable forest management,” the Deputy Minister added.

In Poland’s opinion, the Agriculture Council should remain the EU body competent to address the forest-related matters.

“We are very keen to strengthen our cooperation with the Member States, to draw on their long-term proven experiences and the lessons already learned  from them,”  Deputy Minister Ryszard Bartosik concluded.

Communication from the Commission on ensuring availability and affordability  of fertilisers

As part of this item Mr. Janusz Wojciechowski, the EU Commissioner for Agriculture, presented the Communication on ensuring availability and affordability  of fertilisers which was published on 9 November 2022. The Commissioner informed that it responded to increases in fertiliser prices, resulting from the energy crisis, mainly high gas prices. In the opinion of the EC, the instruments indicated in the Communication are expected in the short term to improve the availability and reduce the prices of fertilisers, without undermining the long-term goals of the green transition. The Commissioner discussed the list of instruments set out in the Communication and pointed out the potential of the CAP Strategic Plans to improve the sustainable use of fertilisers.

In their discussion, the Member States appreciated the proposals of the EC, particularly the medium- and long-term measures to enhance the independence from the imports of energy carriers and fertilisers and the search for alternative nutrient sources, especially organic fertilisers.

However, a large group of Member States expressed their disappointment with the absence of sufficient  short-term measures to quickly improve the situation and to ensure on ad hoc basis the availability of fertilisers at affordable prices. Many Member States stressed that the Common Agricultural Policy should not be the source for financing measures to address all challenges.

The discussion as part of this item included the information presented by Spain, which was supported by a dozen or so Member States, including Poland, on the availability of fertilisers in the context of safeguarding food security. Among others, the proponents called for:

• maintaining the European strategic autonomy in the production and supply of fertilisers;
• increasing the transparency of the markets of fertilisers and the raw materials used to producer them;
• taking measures to encourage farmers to enhance the sustainable use of fertilisers;
• seeking alternative sources of nutrients and energy;
• supporting new technologies;
• promoting the cultivation of legumes in the EU, including the preparation of a genuine European protein strategy.

The Polish Deputy Minister of Agriculture stressed that the 50% reduction of nutrient losses without a detriment to soil fertility, as proposed in the Field to Fork Strategy, which was expected to reduce the fertiliser consumption at least by 20% by 2030, should be a flexible target, which each country would tailor to the local needs and capabilities.

“Rigid, too ambitious reduction targets can adversely affect the maintenance of the national and European food sovereignty, which is becoming an increasingly large challenge in the face of the struggle against the impacts of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, “ Deputy Minister Ryszard Bartosik pointed out.

He also informed that in light of the high production costs Poland supported the possibility of using the agricultural reserve in 2023 to support farmers, to be allocated for the exceptional market measures.

Moreover, Deputy Minister Ryszard Bartosik stressed the importance of the production and use of biomethane.

“However, in order to support the development of this sector, there is a need to review the EU regulations which could limit the capacity to produce biomethane,” the Deputy Minister concluded.

Regulation on nature restoration

The EC reminded that the state of climate and biodiversity needed to be improved immediately, irrespective of the unfolding conflicts and crises. The EC assured that in the proposed Regulation it provided for flexibility to be applied by the Member States, since it would be up to them to select the tools and to plan the methods for achieving the targets in the national restoration plans, while the beneficiaries would include farmers, forest owners and  fishermen.

Most of the Member States pointed out the very ambitious targets set out in the Regulation and the extremely short time allowed for their achievement.

Secretary of State Ryszard Bartosik informed that Poland supported the nature restoration measures. However, he pointed out that the targets and obligations proposed in the new Regulation, dedicated to the protection of natural resources, should be realistic and justified.

“We have concerns about the feasibility of implementing the assumed ambitious targets in light of both the short timeframe and the need to meet many, often mutually exclusive objectives under other policies or priorities,“ the Deputy Minister explained.

He also pointed the absence of a plan for adequate financing of the implementation of the Regulation. Concluding, Deputy Minister Bartosik informed that Poland proposed greater flexibility, to be allowed especially at the initial stage of the implementation of the Regulation so that the Member States could adapt the existing legal, monitoring and financial systems to the new scope of obligations.

Meeting with the Italian Minister of Agriculture

On the sidelines of the Council meeting, Secretary of State Ryszard Bartosik held a bilateral meeting with Mr. Franceso Lollobrigida, the new Italian Minister of Agriculture. The meeting was devoted to an exchange of views on the EC proposal for a new Regulation on the sustainable use of plant protection products (SUR) and the announced legislation on front of pack nutrition labelling (FOPNL).

The Ministers agreed that the most important goal of EU agricultural policy should be to maintain agricultural production and to safeguard food security at the EU and global levels. They expressed their satisfaction with the consistency of Polish and Italian policies in many areas of agricultural policy and declared their willingness to strengthen their cooperation.