Extension of the exemption
Following numerous demonstrations by farmers in several Member States, which reached Brussels today, the European Commission (EC) decided yesterday to propose the extension of the GAEC 8 derogation for 2024. GAEC 8 requires farmers to leave 4 % of their land to biodiversity. With over 1.000 tractors in front of the EU headquarters, farmers from Belgium, Germany, France, the Netherlands and other member states are protesting to make their voices heard.
The vote of February 5th
Some of the main complaints include excessive regulation, administrative burdens and unfair competition from cheaper imports. Member States will discuss and vote on the EC proposal on 5 February. An identical regulation was adopted in the summer of 2022. Then, all the representatives of the member states voted in favor, except Germany, which abstained.
The words of Torbjörn Larsson
Commenting on the EC proposal and the resulting problems for biodiversity, Torbjörn Larsson, President of FACE, said: “Farmers face real challenges and need to be supported more, however the elimination of GAEC 8 will not will solve these problems. We need a more resilient agricultural policy to better support the needs of farmers and biodiversity” (source: FACE).