60 NGOs warn that simplified rules will hinder, not help, farmers’ resilience

Posted on 18 March 2025

Civil society reacts to further simplification measures impacting EU agriculture and food.

As the European Commission moves to simplify EU environmental measures around agriculture and food for the second time in a year, 60 civil society organisations have issued a statement calling for measures that strengthen - rather than hinder - farmers’ resilience to the triple environmental crisis.

Giulia Riedo, Sustainable Food Policy Officer at the WWF European Policy Office, said: “Farmers need solutions to climate shocks and failing yields, not superficial shortcuts that create the illusion of reduced burdens. Scraping environmental measures won’t prevent floods or droughts, nor will they restore degraded land after years of exploitative agricultural practices. In fact, if the European Commission continues to roll back environmental rules left, right, and centre, it will do the opposite, further undermining farmers' ability to produce food. The Commission must abandon this reckless approach and take meaningful steps to tackle climate change and halt nature destruction.”

Tomorrow, the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, Christophe Hansen, will exchange views with Members of the European Parliament in the AGRI Committee on the EU Vision for Agriculture and Food, which proposes a "simpler" and more targeted Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The European Commission has already announced a second simplification package for the current CAP in April, with discussions scheduled for the AGRIFISH Council on 28 April.

For more information, please contact:
Alejandra Morales
amorales@wwf.eu
+32 488 84 98 05

Farmers will need support to strengthen their resilience to climate shocks.

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Joint statement on simplification packages affecting EU agriculture and food

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60 NGOs warn that simplified rules will hinder, not help, farmers’ resilience

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