Klaas Johan Osinga

After3️⃣years of assessment, the @EU_Commission has published its long-awaited evaluation of the Nitrates Directive. This evaluation should have opened a genuine reflection on whether a legislative framework designed more than 3️⃣0️⃣ years ago remains fit for the challenges of 21st-century agriculture. Instead, it largely maintains the status quo, which is a clear disappointment for @COPACOGECA. 💧While the Directive initially contributed to improvements in water quality, progress has stagnated in many Member States in recent years. At the same time, compliance has become increasingly complex and costly for farmers. @COPACOGECA regrets that the evaluation does not put forward meaningful proposals to modernise or simplify the framework. Beyond calling for better implementation by Member States, it offers few practical solutions to address today’s realities: the fertiliser crisis, the growing impact of climate change, and the need for greater flexibility in nutrient management. 👀There is also a striking lack of coherence between the ambitions set out in the Vision for the Future of Agriculture, the Livestock Strategy and the Fertiliser Action Plan, and the conclusions of this evaluation. This evaluation must therefore be seen as a first step. The upcoming Implementation Dialogue and future assessment processes must deliver genuine simplification and a regulatory framework that works for both farmers and the environment. 🔗Full reaction >>> copa-cogeca.eu/press-release…