EU – Farmers: The ban on burning branches is coming – Greece
Prohibition of burning crop residues is among the nine new obligations of the country’s farmers, in order not to be entitled to receive the basic aid
Prohibiting the burning of crop residues is among the nine new obligations of European Union farmers under the so-called cross-compliance for environmental protection, in order to be eligible for basic aid through the new Common Agricultural Policy . during the years 2023-2027.
Meanwhile, yesterday, Thursday, December 30, the Strategic Plan of the country for the new Common Agricultural Policy was submitted, following relevant instructions of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food of Spili Lebanon and the competent Deputy Minister George Styliou, through the special platform developed (SF) to this end by the European Commission.
More specifically (as it writes in Agronews), the Commission published the new cross-compliances for receiving the basic aid without exceptions for small growers. In these cases, all the actions taken by the farmer so far to make it greener have been added, while the small farmers will not be excluded from them, as is done in the current period.
In detail, the new cross-compliance is as follows:
– Maintenance of permanent pastures, ie based on the ratio of permanent pastures in relation to the agricultural area at national, regional and sub-regional level and at the level of group of holdings or at the level of holding compared to the reference year 2018, maximum reduction of its order. 5% compared to the reference year.
– Protection of wetlands and peatlands (peatlands are swamps, in which peat or a sequence of peat layers has been deposited, with the possible participation of other organic sediments, with a total thickness of at least 30 cm). Member States can envisage in their strategic plans for the CFP that this commitment will be reduced from the year of application to 2024 to 2025. to maintain agricultural activity for the designation of land as agricultural land.
– Prohibition of the burning of crop residues, unless it is done for reasons of plant protection. Let us remind here that “New Crete” has so far devoted extensive coverage to the future ban on the burning of crop residues.
Creation of buffer zones along watercourses. In areas with significant drainage ditches and irrigation ditches, Member States may adjust, if this is duly justified for the areas, the minimum width, according to specific local circumstances.
– Plow management to reduce the risk of soil degradation and erosion, taking into account, inter alia, the slope of the soil.
– Minimum ground cover to avoid uncovered ground in periods that are particularly sensitive.
– Crop rotation in arable land, except for crops grown under water. Member States may be exempted from the obligation under this standard holdings: (a) where more than 75% of the arable land is used for the production of grasses or other herbaceous fodder plants, as set-aside land, cultivated with legumes or subject to a combination of this money; or is subject to a combination of such uses; or (c) up to 10 hectares of arable land.
Minimum percentage of at least 4% of arable land at agricultural level available in non-productive areas and characteristics, including set-aside land.
Prohibition of conversion or plowing of permanent pastures designated as environmentally sensitive permanent pastures in areas of the Natura 2000 network.
National Strategic Plan – “We submitted one of the first”
At the same time, one of the first among EU member states. was the National Strategic Plan of the CAP 2023-2027 submitted by the Greek government. Minister Spilios Libanos stated, among other things: “The submission of the Strategic Plan of our country for the new CAP 2023-2027 is the culmination of a long and intensive public period of consultation and preparation, with all the institutional and productive bodies of our agri-food system. . . In this democratic and multi-participatory process, the new challenges, concerns, possibilities and prospects of Greek agriculture and animal husbandry emerged, largely defining our strategic choices, our political decisions and consequently the content of the strategy we designed and captured. . in our national proposal. A proposal balanced and coherent with development orientation, social sensitivity and increased concern for the environment and the climate “.