Industry has repeatedly signalled its commitment to innovate in support of both Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy sustainability objectives. However, the current lack of scientific impact assessment to inform policymaking is causing increasing concern, here in Europe and from our international agricultural trading partners.
Many stakeholders, including the EU Council, EU Parliament, and the private sector, have repeatedly called on the EU Commission to conduct a holistic evidence-based impact assessment on the Farm to Fork Strategy, and in particular on its quantitative reduction targets.
The EU Commission has however refused to do so, on the basis that it is a political strategy and is not legislative.
While the EU Commission’s position may be formalistically correct, there is a circularity to this argument.
On the one hand, the Green Deal and Farm to Form Strategy set ambitious targets with the highest level of political backing and have already achieved a reality of their own.
On the other hand, there is a perception that if and when impact assessments are ultimately performed by the EU Commission, they will be fragmented in scope and will not be available until it is too late to influence policy direction.
