Livestock strategy: regions call for targeted simplification and robust environmental standards

Ahead of the publication of the EC's livestock strategy, the COR and the European Parliament intergroup on sustainable livestock on 24 June are sharing ideas for simplification to boost agricultural investment in a sustainable livestock sector.

Europe's agricultural sector can and should be modernised and made more sustainable by simplifying environmental rules while preserving high standards. Reducing red tape in green regulations - from permits and impact assessments to CAP environmental schemes and inspections - can unlock farm investments without undermining nature and climate objectives. Local and regional authorities, who implement over 70% of EU laws on the ground, play a crucial role in making these simplifications effective.

Piotr Calbecki (PL/EPP), NAT Chair and President of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region: "Properly implemented, simplification can spur investments that make sustainable livestock farming more profitable and environmentally sound. However, it's vital to avoid any perception that simplification is a backdoor to lower standards. Local and regional authorities are essential partners: with adequate resources and a seat at the table, they ensure that streamlined rules are effectively implemented on the ground and adapted to local realities"

Benoit Cassart (BE/Renew), Member of the European Parliament: "Across Europe, the arrival of new residents in rural areas, combined with increasingly strict environmental requirements, has led to a growing number of conflicts linked to agricultural activities: odours, machinery noise - and even roosters - tractor traffic, dust, opposition to the construction of new farm buildings, and to the installation of biogas plants. In France, Parliament even adopted a law in 2023 aimed at better protecting farmers against what are considered abusive legal challenges. In other words, we have reached a point where legislation is needed simply to allow farmers to do their job - a job that consists, quite simply, of feeding us. This is quite extraordinary. We need to ensure that farmers can do their job, and that they can remain profitable while operating in a sustainable way."

Best practices at regional level:

• The Spanish region of Madrid is modernising extensive livestock management without heavy permitting by using digital solutions.
• This lowers transaction costs for farmers to join environmental schemes. Regions such as Brittany (France) and Andalucía (Spain) have pioneered collective agri-environment contracts for pasture management, where local groups manage the paperwork centrally, sparing individual farmers undue burden.
• In Finnish rural areas, local councils have used LEADER to co-finance small water protection and grazing projects under a single simplified framework, circumventing the complexity of multiple grants.