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Agriland
28-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
New director-general appointed for EU agriculture
The European Commission has decided today (Wednesday, May 28) to appoint Elisabeth Werner as director-general for the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI). The date of effect of this decision will be June 1, according to the commission. DG AGRI supports and promotes a knowledge and evidence-based green and digital transition towards a sustainable, competitive, and resilient EU agriculture, rural areas and food systems, including food security. It is responsible for developing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). DG AGRI is led by Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, Christophe Hansen. Elisabeth Werner. Image source: European Commission New director-general With over 25 years of experience within the European Commission, Werner is said to bring a combination of institutional knowledge, budgetary expertise, and coordination skills across a wide range of policy areas. Her background includes extensive work on numerous strategic files, including in the field of land transport, competitiveness, clean industry, and sustainability. The commission has stated that she has successfully managed teams and coordinated complex files, often requiring close collaboration with other institutions and stakeholders. 'Her experience in shaping policies that intersect with sustainability, competitiveness, resilience and budgetary implementation make her particularly well-suited to work on the multifaceted challenges of the agricultural sector,' the commission stated. 'Ms. Werner's ability to work across sectors and align policy, funding, and implementation tools will be key to advancing an integrated approach to agriculture that supports farmers, strengthens rural communities, and delivers on the EU's ambitions.' Werner, an Austrian national, is currently deputy secretary-general at the Secretariat-General of the European Commission. Prior to this, she was director for land transport at the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) where she was responsible for interinstitutional relations, communication and coordination. In earlier stages of her career, she was senior expert and then head of cabinet of vice-president Georgieva (2014-2016) focusing on human resources (HR), budgetary matters and anti-fraud. She also took on several head of unit positions at DG MOVE and the Directorate-General for Budget (DG BUDG). Werner joined the European Commission in 1996.
Agriland
23-04-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Potential payment under GAEC 2 as part of CAP simplification
Paying farmers for meeting requirements under the controversial good agricultural and environmental condition (GAEC) 2 may form part of a further upcoming simplification of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). GAEC 2 – one of several GAEC rules that govern conditionality for payments under CAP – is described as a baseline requirement for the protection of carbon-rich soils, including peatlands and wetlands. A leaked internal European Commission document, seen by Agriland, is recommending to allow possible payments for 'the practices, considered currently baseline' under GAEC 2. The recommendation is part of a list of measures that will be considered as part of a simplification package for CAP. Which measures will form part of the final simplification package remain to be seen. The document, which is understood to have been written up by the commission's Directorate-General of Agriculture (DG AGRI), says: 'Due to [GAEC 2's] sensitivity, level of contribution to the [greenhouse gas] emissions, aspects of stability, and timing of implementation, a careful consideration is needed in relation to possible changes. 'Following…requests, AGRI prepared a set of options, including their pros and cons, and recommending, if need be, to allow possible payments for the practices, considered currently as 'baseline',' the document adds. The document also includes a possible measure to adjust the relevant legal text by specifying that, when implementing GAEC 2, member states, when defining standards, may relay on their national legislation that is protecting peatlands and wetlands, and allow possible payments of those actions. Elsewhere, the document also includes a measure to allow member states to ensure that a farmer is not subject to an 'on-the-spot' control for CAP interventions more than once in a calendar year. However, the document also states that this proposed change risks 'weakening the governance systems, in particular, deterrent effect of controls'. 'It is also very likely that it will be impossible to properly control farms with multiple payments linked to several eligibility conditions, while small farms can face increased controls,' the document added. In the case of young farmers, the document includes a measure to allow investments to be financed that bring farms up to 'legal standards'. Other measures outlined in the commission document include: Derogation for organic farmers from GAECs 1,3,4,5 and 6; Allowing payments per livestock unit for environmental, climate and organic farming commitments; Flexibilities on GAEC 1 (maintenance of permanent grasslands); Applying GAEC 4 (buffer strips along water courses) along water courses as defined by member states under the Water Framework Directive; Removal of two environment/climate related articles from the CAP strategic plan regulation; Flexibility on risk management tools for calculation of losses for certain groups of farmers or areas, and allowing for selection of farmers based on situation or needs; Allowing member states to create a crisis intervention for natural disaster emergencies with up to 2% of the national CAP envelope; A simplified payment scheme for 'small farmers' not otherwise receiving CAP Pillar I funding, and exempting them from conditionality while allowing them access to the Pillar I eco-scheme; A new lump sum payment of €50,000 for the business development of 'small farms'; Additional financial incentive to producer organisations in the fruit and vegetable sector; Changes to financial instruments, including allowing eligibility of VAT in financial instruments; Further use of digital tools; Simplifying the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS), further reducing on-the-spot controls; Providing further flexibility to member states on conditionality controls, also with the aim of reducing on-the-spot controls. MEP welcomes CAP simplification Although the CAP simplification package is yet to be finalised and announced, an Irish MEP has welcomed the slate of possible simplification measures. Midlands–North-West MEP Ciaran Mullooly said the measures outlined are 'a step in the right direction for farmers across Ireland and Europe'. 'I am personally pleased with the commission's proposals, particularly the recognition that farmers impacted by GAEC 2 should be eligible for payments based on income forgone. This principle, that farmers deserve fair compensation for complying with environmental conditions, was a key issue in my discussions with the commission,' Mullooly said. He also drew attention to two further elements of the proposals – the reduction in on-farm inspections and increased support for new-generation farmers. 'These changes represent meaningful steps to reduce unnecessary burdens and ensure generational renewal in farming, something that's vital for the long-term sustainability of rural communities,' Mullooly said. 'It's clear that the protests by Irish and European farmers during last [year's] 'summer of discontent' are beginning to pay off. The voices of farmers are finally being heard,' he added.
