2024-09-23 15:00:05
Inaccuracies, gaps … The conclusions of the report of the European Court of Auditors dedicated to organic agriculture, published on Monday September 23, point to the weakness and lack of effectiveness of the Brussels process in this area. Up to the point that the target has been set to reach 25% of the agricultural land in the Twenty-seventh planted in organic agriculture by 2030 “seems unreachable”structural analysis.
He explained that in 2022, this rate is 10.5% on the European area, or 17 million hectares. The average which keeps strong differences, within Austria, at the top of the table with 25% of the useful agricultural area planted , followed by Estonia, Sweden and Portugal while the share is less than 5% for the Netherlands, Poland, Bulgaria, Ireland and Malta. France is in fifteenth place with a rate of 10.1%.
The European Union (EU) wants to encourage the use of more sustainable agricultural practices at the time of the 1990s organic farming is until today the only form of agricultural production that is standardized and regulated at the level of the EU. It contributes, in fact, to increasing biodiversity, reducing water, air and soil pollution and promoting climate change.
“Support the sector as a whole”
The European Court of Auditors estimates that between 2014 and 2022, 12 billion euros will be injected for the development of this agriculture which frees itself from synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Which represents a little more than 2% of the total amount of the European agricultural budget at the moment, estimated at almost 520 billion euros. About 15 billion euros are planned by 2027.
These grants make it possible to expand the areas converted to organic farming. “But for long-term success, it is not enough to focus on increasing the surface area of naturally cultivated land. We must also support the sector as a whole through product development and increased productivity. “Said Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, member of the Court responsible for the audit, quoted in a press release. Before adding “Without this, we risk creating a completely inappropriate system based on EU funds, instead of a business that is improved by informed consumers”.
Various ambitions
Journalists highlight the difficulty of evaluating this European policy in the absence of measurable targets, specific financial ratios and indicators and monitoring data. However, they are aware that by publishing, in June 2020, the Farm to Fork Strategy and the EU Diversity Strategy for 2030, implementing the European Green Deal, the Commission this time set a non-binding target of 25% of land- agriculture to organic farming by 2030. The 2021-2027 action plan was then developed. Even if it recognizes a progress, with a better description of actions and responsibilities, the Court of Auditors continues to regret the absence of quantitative target values and strategic vision beyond 2030.
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