CAP-EU Policies | Low Impact Farming

CAP and Sustainable Use Directive

Already back in 1999, the Agricultural Council in Cardiff adopted specific objectives for agrochemicals in the « Council Strategy on the Environmental Integration and Sustainable Development in the Common Agricultural Policy », among others specifying that it is needed to have 'measures to reduce the environmental risks of pesticide use (water contamination, deterioration of biodiversity, etc.)'.

The thematic strategy on pesticides from 2006 mentioned the importance of encouraging low-input or pesticide-free crop farming while calling for the importance of making strong links to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), but the current CAP still does very little to address the aspect of pesticides.

While the CAP reform proposal does address pesticides, much of what are being proposed will not be able to encourage the needed transfer in the European model of farming.