The European Commission has proposed a temporary short-term derogation from rules on crop rotation and the maintenance of non-productive features on arable land for 2023.

These effectively refer to Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) 7 and GAEC 8 obligations in the new CAP to be introduced next year.

GAEC measure seven refers to the obligation for two or three crops on holdings of more than 10ha or what has become known as the three-crop rule on tillage farms.

GAEC 8 refers to the need for non-productive features on arable land – what was known as environmental focus areas up to now.

Production capacity

The proposal follows a request from EU member states and farmers to help maximise the EU’s production capacity for cereals for food products.

The Commission estimated that the proposal would put back 1.5 million hectares into production compared with 2022.

The objective is that every tonne of cereals produced in the EU will help to improve food security worldwide.

The proposal must first be sent to member states before it is formally adopted.

Ukraine invasion

While the proposal is primarily driven by the impact of the invasion of Ukraine, it also recognises the impact of anticipated reduced food production in Europe in the short term due to the prolonged spells of heat and drought in EU member states.

The proposal comes in recognition of the fact that farmers are now taking production decisions for the sowing of winter crops.

There is also a real risk that Ukraine could significantly reduce its grain production next year for reasons of war and economics.

The Commission advises that this is a short-term and temporary measure and that both of these GAECs will come back into play as soon as is practical.