The recent departure from the GAEC 8 standard may be a precursor to further changes. The European Commission has also started work on suspending the GAEC 7 standard, which concerns the obligation to rotate and diversify crops.
- After the derogation in 2023, the GAEC 7 standard was to come into force from 2024, regarding the obligation to rotate and diversify crops.
- We know that the Minister of Agriculture, Czesław Siekierski, asked the European Commission to suspend the GAEC 7 and 8 standards.
- On the initiative of Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski, the EC is taking steps to suspend the GAEC 7 standard.
- Earlier this week, the EC announced derogations from the requirements of the GAEC 8 standard, i.e. the obligation to set fallow.
A brief history of GAEC 7
GAEC standards are a set of conditions that farmers who apply for direct payments must meet. The condition for receiving payment is meeting these standards.
The GAEC 7 standard is, in short, the obligation to rotate and diversify crops on arable land. The exact rules under the GAEC standard are very detailed, but in simple terms the point is not to grow the same crop species in one field for many years and not to sow the entire farm area with one crop species.
Last year, the GAEC 7 standard, like GAEC 8, was not yet applicable to farmers due to the introduction of a derogation. However, in 2024, the obligation to meet both standards was to come into force.
In December 2023, editor Agnieszka Kozłowska informed that the Monitoring Committee of the Strategic Plan for the Common Agricultural Policy for 2023-2027 issued a positive opinion on changes to the GAEC 7 standard in the scope of, among others: waiving the requirement for crop diversification.
Until recently, there was no chance of deviation
Farmers and their organizations have repeatedly appealed for the extension of the derogation from the GAEC 7 standard for another year. The need for derogation was reinforced, among others, by: difficult economic situation of farms and difficulties in plant production related to unfavorable weather conditions.
So far, the authorities have replied that there is no need to derogate from the GAEC 7 standard in 2024. According to Brussels, the periodic derogation resulted from the need to ensure food security in Europe in the face of the war in Ukraine, but a further suspension of the standard is not expected.
Similar information was recently provided by the Ministry of Agriculture.
– According to the EC, there is currently no threat to food security, which means that the reasons for granting derogations from the GAEC 7 and 8 standards in 2023 no longer apply – pointed out Czesław Siekierski.
Everything can change
However, as it turned out recently, some decisions change dynamically. At the beginning of the week, the EC announced the introduction of derogations from the requirements of the GAEC 8 standard in 2024. Non-production areas at 4%. Farmers will be able to replace land with nitrogen-fixing plants or catch crops for 7%. land area on the farm.
Farmers’ demands can probably also be implemented in the scope of the GAEC 7 standard. As our editorial office has learned, the Minister of Agriculture, Czesław Siekierski, also asked the European Commission to suspend the GAEC 7 standard.
On the initiative of Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski, the EC is taking steps to suspend the GAEC 7 standard.
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