The European Parliament (EP) has approved amendments to the of the Common agricultural policy (CAP), allowing member states to amend their CAP Strategic Plans twice a year. This provision enables prompt adaptation to unforeseen situations in the industry and the market.
Additionally, given the unpredictability of weather conditions and economic uncertainty, the amendments allow member states to set temporary deviations from the standards 5, 6, 7, and 9 of good agricultural and environmental conditions (GAEC). These standards cover requirements related to soil management, soil cover, crop rotation, and environmentally sensitive permanent grassland areas.
Temporary deviations are applicable when adverse weather conditions in a specific year prevent farmers from meeting the deadlines required by the standards. These exemptions can be applied only to specific farmers or areas affected by the adverse weather conditions and only for as long as they are necessary.
The amendments also allow for the possibility of special exemptions from GAEC standards 5, 6, 7, and 9. These exemptions can be granted to specific areas based on objective and non-discriminatory criteria, such as crop type, soil type, specific agricultural practices, or damage to permanent grassland.
Special exemptions can be granted to address issues arising from the application of the standards and must ensure they do not significantly reduce the contribution of each mentioned standard towards the goals of soil protection and soil quality.
Changes have also been made to GAEC standard 8, which includes various requirements, one of which is the obligation to transform a portion of an arable land into non-productive area or features.
This requirement must be met without compensation, bet given that these non-productive areas cannot be used for crop or livestock feed, its fulfillment can impose a significant financial burden on farmers. Recognizing this burden and its consequences, the regulation allows for the cancellation of this requirement, stipulating that member states must implement an eco-scheme for arable land allocated to non-productive areas and features.
In Latvia, an eco-scheme support for ecologically significant areas, which includes green manure fallow areas or non-productive areas, has already been introduced. However, a new eco-scheme will need to be developed to provide support for the creation of non-productive areas or features.
The Ministry of Agriculture will continue to work on making amendments to Latvia's CAP Strategic Plan in accordance with these changes.