Europe adopts greener agricultural policy

Europe's Common Agricultural Policy will be reformed so that specific environmental practices will be a condition of payments to EU Member States from central government coffers, announced Environment News Service. Under the new agreement, Europe will invest over 100 billion Euro between 2014 and 2020 to help farmers meet the challenges of soil and water quality, biodiversity and climate change. To strengthen the environmental sustainability of agriculture and enhance the efforts of farmers, the EU will spend 30% of direct payments for the improved use of natural resources. This "greening" applies to all 27 EU Member States, all rural areas, and all farmers. It will be linked to three environmentally friendly farming practices: crop diversification, maintaining permanent grassland, and conserving 5%, and later 7%, of areas of ecological interest by 2018 – or measures considered to have equivalent environmental benefits, such as organic agriculture. However, the largest association of environmental groups in Europe, the European Environmental Bureau, is disappointed that the agreement is not stronger.

Click here to read further