At its resumed session on 30th August, the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development voted MEP Martin Hlaváček’s (Renew, CZ) opinion on the Certification Framework on Carbon Removals, approving it with a large majority. This vote sent a clear message from the Committee on Agriculture: carbon farming is part of the solution and farmers/foresters must be at the center of this new model.
Under the leadership of the Czech rapporteur, the Committee reached a set of compromises that guarantee a comprehensive approach to carbon farming in farms or forests. The approved opinion amended the Commission’s proposal by including activities linked to mitigation and adaptation. This request from the EU farming community has been heard by the Committee. It will make it possible to reward additional environmental performances and ensure the continuity of existing carbon farming schemes through a simplified process that does not generate unnecessary administrative burdens. It is essential that all efforts already made by farmers, foresters, and agri-cooperatives are recognised, thereby encouraging transition.
Copa and Cogeca welcome the recognition of the GHG emissions’ reductions within the scope, the measures put to prevent land grabbing (placing foresters and farmers in the center of the system), the acknowledgement of the role of agri-cooperatives, as well as the clarification of a more adequate baseline for the characteristics of carbon farming.
The Committee on Environment, which has competence over this proposal, should take due consideration of this opinion ahead of its vote on 2 October 2023. We count on the Members of the Parliament’s support to ensure that the European agriculture and forestry sectors can be part of the solution to fight against climate change through storing carbon in soil and biomass.
Fonte: Copa Cogeca.
