Category Archives: Common Agricultural Policy
Greening the Common Agricultural Policy: MEPs vote on environmental measures
As part of the wider EU budget review for the period 2014-2020, the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has been under scrutiny over the past two years. In its current state, the CAP accounts for 40% of the EU budget, … Continue reading
Checking the Progress of Government on the Natural Environment
The Government could try harder on the natural environment. That was the conclusion of ‘Nature Check 2012′, an overview of the Government’s progress against the commitments made in the Coalition Agreement, launched by Wildlife and Countryside Link, and endorsed by … Continue reading
'Green Food' for a Green Economy
Greater investment is needed in agricultural research, enhanced knowledge exchange is required between different stakeholders in supply chains and detailed discussion must take place regarding how to reduce consumption and waste. These are some of the headline conclusions from the … Continue reading
Doing More with Less for the Natural Environment in 2012
Yesterday the BES Policy Team attended ‘Natural Environment 2012′, a conference in central London to explore the Natural Environment White Paper (NEWP) and the actions that have taken place to implement this since its launch in 2011. Delegates were drawn … Continue reading
Economists and Ecologists brought together by issues of sustainable agriculture in an NCI workshop yesterday
A workshop which brought together economists and ecologists, and organised by the Natural Capital Initiative, took place yesterday at Charles Darwin House. The aim of the event was to facilitate conversation between experts of the two disciplines to discuss how … Continue reading
MEPs call for new environmental framework for the EU
Voting in two resolutions last week, MEPs (Members of the European Parliament) called for the European Commission to introduce a Seventh Environmental Action Programme and for higher political priority to go to preserving and restoring damaged ecosystems. The Seventh Environmental … Continue reading
Germany leads objection to specific biodiversity goals in the CAP.
A call for specific biodiversity goals to be integrated into the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was abandoned at the insistence of Germany during a meeting of environment ministers in Brussels today (19 December). In its proposal for a biodiversity strategy … Continue reading
Greening the Common Agricultural Policy
Professor Charles Godfray, immediate past President of the BES, is to give evidence to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee on Wednesday 14th December as part of the Committee’s inquiry into ‘Greening the Common Agricultural Policy‘. Professor Godfray … Continue reading
The European Commission proposes a new partnership between Europe and its farmers
On 12th October, the European Commission has presented a draft reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the period after 2013. This draft aims to strengthen the competitiveness, sustainability and permanence of agriculture throughout the EU in order to … Continue reading
EU Budget Announcement: Implications for Ecology and Biodiversity
Last week the European Commission announced their plans for the new EU budget. The new budget, known as the Multi Annual Financial Framework (MFF) sets how much will be spent over the years 2014 to 2020, and how this money … Continue reading