News » Revision of the Common Agricultural Policy: farm Nutrient Sustainability Tool

On 1^st June 2018, the European Commission publishedthe legislative proposal for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after2020. Objectives are announced as fairer funding targeting (includinglimiting payments to 100 000 ? per farm), higher environment and climateaction objectives (in particular: preserving carbon rich soils such aswetlands, obligatory farm nutrient management tool, crop rotation) andtighter food safety (reducing pesticides, antibiotics). Art. 3 fixesthat Member States shall establish a system of ?Farm Sustainability Tool for Nutrients? and this is specified in Annex III ?Rules of conditionality?(GAEC 5) ? see detail below. The payment conditionality requirements(Annex III) also include (SMR 1) respect of the EU Water FrameworkDirective (and specifically ?Article 11(3)(e) and Article 11(3)(h) as regards mandatory requirements to control diffuse sources of pollution by phosphates?)and (SMR 2) respect of the EU Nitrates Directive, as well as (GAEC 4) buffer strips (both within and outside Nitrate Directive VulnerableZones), tillage management (GAEC 6) and no bare soil in most sensitiveperiods (GAEC 7). Nutrients are also included in the CAP indicators(Annex I): ?I.15 Improving water quality: Gross nutrient balance on agricultural land? and ?1.16Reducing nutrient leakage: Nitrate in ground water - Percentage ofground water stations with N concentration over 50 mg/l as per theNitrate directive?.

In Annex III, footnote 2, it is specified that the Farm Sustainability Tool for Nutrients ?shall provide at least for the following elements and functionalities?:
a) Elements
? Relevant farm information based on LPIS and IACS (Integrated Administration and Control System and Land Parcel Identification System);
? Information from the soil sampling, on an appropriate spatial and temporal scale;
? Information on relevant management practices, crop history, and yield goals;
? Indications regarding legal limits and requirements relevant to farm nutrients management;
? A complete nutrient budget.
b) Functionalities
? Automatic integration of data from various sources (LPIS and IACS,farmer-generated data, soil analyses etc.) as far as possible, to avoiddata input duplication for farmers;
? Two-way communication between PA/MAs and farmers allowed;
? Modularity and possibility to support further sustainability objectives (e.g. emissions management, water management)
? Respect of EU data inter-operability, openness and re-use principles;
? Guarantees for data security and privacy in line with best current standards.

The CAP legislative proposal will now go to discussion by European Parliament and Council, a process in which stakeholders (including ESPP) will make input and representations.

*Annex III conditionality definitions: SMR = Statutory ManagementRequirement and GAEC = Standards for good agricultural and environmentalcondition of land Legislative text proposal for a Regulation "establishing rules onsupport for strategic plans to be drawn up by Member States under theCommon agricultural policy (CAP Strategic Plans) and financed by theEuropean Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and by the EuropeanAgricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)" - COM(2018) 392 finaland 2018/0216 (COD), 1^st June 2018 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2018%3A392%3AFIN and presentation page https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/key-policies/common-agricultural-policy/future-cap_en

For more information visit https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/key-policies/common-agricultural-policy/future-cap_en.