Dutch National Strategic Plan approved in Brussels
The European Commission yesterday approved the Dutch National Strategic Plan (NSP), the last of the 27 EU member states. The NSP describes what the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will look like after the turn of the year. LTO is pleased that the official confirmation has finally arrived. Now the focus must be on good information by the government. Because the complex scheme leaves many agricultural entrepreneurs with practical questions. They can submit their application from 1 March to 15 May.
Information by National Strategic Plan
After many years of preparation, the new CAP is now starting. However, many farmers still have practical questions. LTO asks the government for information, so that every farmer and market gardener knows where he stands and what choices have to be made. Changes must be made to the NSP where necessary. Brussels offers the space for passengers to arrive every year.
cap budget
The new CAP will apply from 1 January 2023. The approval in Brussels was therefore not a day late. LTO is pleased that this hurdle has finally been taken up. The previous CAP proposals date from 2018 and the whole process has taken almost five years in total.
During this process, LTO argued for budget retention, retention of a basic premium as an income safety net for farmers and the opportunity for anyone who wants to participate in the new eco-scheme and agricultural nature management. in the end, the CAP budget fell slightly, but much less than what the Dutch government had envisaged in the European budget negotiations.
Options menu in National Strategic Plan for eco-regulation
LTO also argued for a simple choice menu in the eco-scheme. The amendment scheme has become much more complicated. The government has a clear task here to provide good information. LTO gets some questions that can’t all be answered properly. This is partly because the manure policy confuses the CAP.
Slightly easier entry in 2023
The time pressure and large simultaneous conditions mean that many farmers do not always know what is expected of them if they want to participate in the new GLB. A lot has already been sown and planted, and the planning for 2023 has largely been made. LTO lobbied for a one-year postponement for certain basic requirements (3 or 4% of arable land out of production, crop rotation requirements). In addition, the threshold for participating in the eco-scheme will be slightly lowered in 2023. Minister Adema has promised that 2023 will be a “learning year”: not lowered, but shared.
Source: LTO Netherlands