SUMMARY FOR LEGAL TRANSFORMATION AND REGULATION OF FOOD SYSTEMS (LAW-32806)
(1)Identify the main characteristics of the current EU policies (EUGD, F2F, CAP) surrounding food
The EU Green Deal (EUGD)
Description:
Strategy for sustainable growth
Commission’s commitment to tackling climate environmental-related challenges
Blueprint for this transformational change
EU becomes the global leader in the transition developing a stronger ‘green deal
diplomacy’
Aims:
Turn the EU in the first climate-neutral country by 2050
Protect human life, animals and plants, by cutting pollution
Help companies become world leaders in clean products and tech
Help ensure a just and inclusive transition
Areas of action:
Climate
Energy
Agriculture (From Farm to Fork)
Industry
Environment and oceans
Transport
Finance and regional development
Research and innovation
The Farm to Fork Strategy
Description:
Cornerstone of the EU Green Deal
Set the stage for an integrated and effective sustainable food system strategy
Embeds the inextricable links between ‘healthy people, healthy societies and a healthy
planet’
Big challenges:
Make sure that citizens have access to healthy, affordable and sustainable food
Tackle climate change
Protect the environment and preserve biodiversity
Ensure fair economic return in food chain
Increase organic farming
Ambitious objectives by 2030:
Reduce the use of chemical and hazardous pesticides in agriculture by 50%
Reduce nutrient losses by at least 50%, while ensuring no deterioration on soil fertility,
reduce fertilizer use by at least 20%
, Reduce by 50% the sales of antimicrobials for farmed animals and in aquaculture
Enhance the development of EU organic farming (25 % of total farmland)
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
Description:
Agricultural policy of the EU
Original core objective (1962) = to ensure food self-sufficiency production subsidy policy
focused on:
o increasing food supply
o providing incentives for farmers to generate surpluses of the major farm
commodities
Reformed many times
Reform 2013 CAP:
Pillar I [Reg. 1307/2013] direct payments to farmers and market measures (e.g.
improvement of competitiveness in terms of price and quality, introduction of direct
payments as a substitute for price support, decentralization of the power, etc.)
Pillar II [Regulation 1305/2013] Rural development policy (promote the integrated and
decentralized planning of agri-environmental, agricultural and rural development measures
across the Community)
Objectives 2013 CAP:
Ensuring food security to stabilize farmers’ income and limit price volatility
Addressing climate change
Mitigate territorial imbalances, improving the vitality and economic potential of rural
regions, and supporting rural employment
Redesigning the Rural Development Policy to become more supportive for small farmers
Ensuring a high level of food safety and quality
Establishing new rules for direct payments (from decoupling to targeting)
CAP strategic plans:
A new approach launched in 2018 and entered into force in 2023
Key tool in reaching the ambitions of the F2F and Biodiversity Strategies
Main characteristics:
Flexibility
o A shift of responsibility to the Member States as regards the identification of
objectives, their implementation and monitoring
o National Strategic Plans
Performance Approach
o Focused on performance & results rather than merely on compliance with rules and
procedures
o That ensures higher flexibility to Member States to design interventions
o That includes:
, Rewarding mechanisms for high environmental performances based on the
attribution of a performance bonus
Correcting mechanisms for low CAP performance
Greener CAP
o The new objectives will cover the 3 dimensions of sustainability: environmental,
economic and social
o Conditionality (i.e. basic obligations for beneficiaries who receive direct payments
and/or other CAP payments)
o Echo schemes: voluntary actions beyond conditionality (e.g. echo schemes)
Fairer CAP
o Fairer distribution of income support and a greater targeting towards SME farms
(e.g. of national strategic approaches and mandatory redistribution of the direct
payments)
o Social conditionality: linking support to the respect of rights of farmworkers (e.g.
transparent employment conditions, on-farm safety and health)
o Support the new generation of farmers and improve gender equality
Innovation-Friendly CAP
o Modernization through knowledge exchange, innovation and digitalization
o A strengthened role for farm advisory services
(1) Explain the relevance of the Farm to Fork Strategy in the transition towards sustainable food
systems
Legislative proposals F2F
Actions:
Proposal for a legislative framework for sustainable food systems
Develop a contingency plan for ensuring food supply and food security
Ensure sustainable food production:
Clarification of the scope of competition rules in the TFEU with regard to sustainability in
collective actions
Legislative initiatives to enhance cooperation of primary producers to support their position
in the food chain and non-legislative initiatives to improve transparency
EU carbon farming initiative
Stimulate sustainable food processing, wholesale, retail, hospitality and food services’ practices:
Initiative to improve the corporate governance framework, including a requirement for the
food industry to integrate sustainability into corporate strategies
Promote sustainable food consumption, facilitating the shift towards healthy, sustainable diets:
Determine the best modalities for setting minimum mandatory criteria for sustainable food
procurement to promote healthy and sustainable diets, including organic products, in schools
and public institutions
Proposal for a harmonized mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labelling by 2022
Proposal for a sustainable food labelling framework that covers the nutritional, climate,
environmental and social aspects of products by 2024
, Examples:
Reduce food lost and waste:
o Proposal for EU-level targets for food waste reduction by 2023
o Proposal for a revision of EU rules on date marking (‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates)
by 2022
Nevertheless:
o There is an inconsistency between policy’s objectives and legal proposals and many
sectors have been left out (e.g. biotech, protein transition etc...)
(2) Illustrate how EU laws are made and who are the main key players in the EU law-making process
EU institutions
1. The European Parliament (the voice of the people)
Represents the EU’s citizens and is directly elected by them
Main roles:
o Legislative = adopts EU laws, together with the Council
o Supervisory = democratic scrutiny of all EU institutions
o Budgetary = establishes the annual EU budget, together with the Council
Works in Committees to prepare legislation and Plenary session to pass legislation
2. The Council (of the EU) (voice of the MS)
Is composed of national government ministers from each Member State, grouped by policy
area (the presidency is held on a 6-month rotating basis)
Main roles:
o Legislative = adopts EU laws, together with the EP
o Coordination = coordinates Member States’ policies (i.e. economic, fiscal, education,
culture, youth, sport, and employment areas) and develops the EU's foreign and
security policy (based on European Council guidelines)
o Representative = concludes agreements between the EU and other countries or
international organisations
o Budgetary = establishes the annual EU budget, together with the EP
Works in 10 different configurations, each corresponding to the policy area being discussed
3. The European Council (voice of the MS)
Is composed of the heads of state or government of all EU countries (along with its President
and the President of the EU Commission)
Defines the general political direction and priorities of the EU
Works in plenary session (4 times a year)
Four priority areas to guide the EU's work over the next years
o protecting citizens and freedoms
o developing a strong and vibrant economic base
o promoting European interests and values on the global stage
o building a climate-neutral, green, fair and social Europe
