C 152/192
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
6.4.2022
Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EU) 2018/841 as regards the scope, simplifying the compliance rules, setting out the targets of the Member States for 2030 and committing to the collective achievement of climate neutrality by 2035 in the land use, forestry and agriculture sector, and (EU) 2018/1999 as regards improvement in monitoring, reporting, tracking of progress and review’ (COM(2021) 554 final) (2022/C 152/32)
Rapporteur: Anastasis YIAPANIS
Referral
European Parliament, 13.9.2021 Council, 17.9.2021
Legal basis
Article 304 and Article 192(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
Section responsible
Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment
Adopted in section
25.11.2021
Adopted at plenary
8.12.2021
Plenary session No
565
Outcome of vote (for/against/abstentions)
145/1/3
1.
Conclusions and recommendations 1.1.
The EESC is very much engaged in the fight against climate change and strongly agrees that there is a need to introduce effective and immediate actions.
A concerted effort is needed from both public and private entities to ensure active involvement, support and ownership by citizens and local communities, and to generate additional funding to support the transition to a low-carbon economy.
1.2.
Europe has been hit by unprecedented forest fires and floods, which coincided with record droughts and heatwaves.
Smart and sustainable water management can greatly improve the EU’s capacity to mitigate and fight fires and enhance resilience against intense rainfall, floods and droughts.
1.3.
Climate change and biodiversity loss are interlinked and must be addressed together.
Habitat loss, pollution, overharvesting and the spread of invasive species have to be tackled to ensure that natural ecosystems are preserved and the vital social and economic role of land-based sectors is fulfilled.
1.4.
Member States should design legislative frameworks that incentivise farmers and forest managers to pursue new sustainable business models that foster biodiversity, apply circular economy rules and generate sustainable practices in biomass production.
The EESC calls for national restoration programmes for high quality wetlands and considers that wetland emissions should be accounted for as soon as possible, and not only from 2026 onwards.
1.5.
Since climate change mitigation is a global challenge, the EESC considers that the EU’s efforts must be complemented by targeted effective external discussions about immediate global involvement, fair burden sharing and fair competition.
1.6.
The EESC calls for wide promotion of and support for sustainable agricultural practices like crop rotation, recovery of organic waste, precision agriculture, permaculture etc.
Land must be managed carefully in all Member States, ensuring the right balance between competitiveness and sustainability, and providing the necessary funding opportunities.
The EESC welcomes the Commission’s intention to propose a regulatory framework for carbon removals in the farming sector.