The European Committee of the Regions:
• points out that pastoralism is under threat from a range of difficulties
• requests that CAP support be redirected towards pastoralism and extensive, sustainable grazing
• welcomes the proposal by the Parliament’s AGRI Committee to recognising wooded and shrub pasture areas as agricultural production areas eligible for basic payments
• supports the proposal by the Parliament’s ENVI Committee aimed at establishing farm livestock density limits and limiting payments to farms that exceed such limits
• welcomes the proposal by Parliament’s AGRI Committee to support the purchase of dogs for the protection of livestock from large predators
• encourages Member States and local and regional authorities to facilitate access to land for pastoral farmers
• encourages Member States and local and regional authorities to set up support systems suitable for collective management practices
• calls for the term “milk, cheese and meat from grazing” to be reserved for products that guarantee that more than 80% of animal feed comes from pasture used during the grazing season
• calls for the biodiversity strategy to be based on a new specific fund for species conservation
• calls on the Commission to assess the need to revise the Habitat Directive following the publication of the next State of Nature in the EU Report in 2020
• calls on the EU to promote pastoral occupations
On 5 December, Jacques Blanc (FR/EPP), mayor of La Canourge and the European Committee of the Regions' rapporteur on pastoralism, spoke at a hearing on wolves held in Brussels by the European Parliament. He called for the Member States to have more resources and more flexibility to manage their populations of large carnivores.
AGRI Committee report on CAP strategic plans takes up some CoR amendments in particular on support the purchase of dogs for the protection of livestock from large predators and on recognising wooded and shrub pasture areas as agricultural production areas eligible for basic payments.
THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,
- requests that, as part of efforts to reorient CAP support, proper consideration be given to pastoralism and extensive, sustainable grazing;
- welcomes the proposals by the European Parliament's AGRI Committee, the aim of which is to recognise wooded and shrub pasture areas as agricultural production areas eligible for basic payments and to enable the EAFRD to continue to support the purchase of dogs for the protection of livestock from large predators;
- supports the proposal by the European Parliament's ENVI Committee aimed at establishing farm livestock density limits and limiting payments to farms that exceed such limits;
- encourages the Member States and local and regional authorities to finance investments in pastoral areas, as they often lack mechanised access, to support integrated management of agricultural and pastoral land, to facilitate access to pastoral land for pastoral farmers and to set up support systems suitable for collective management practices;
- calls for the term "milk, cheese and meat from grazing" to be reserved for products that guarantee that more than 80% of animal feed comes from pasture used during the grazing season;
- calls for the biodiversity strategy to be based on a new specific fund for species conservation;
- calls on the Commission to assess the need to revise the Habitat Directive based on the next State of Nature in the EU report in 2020, taking into account the results of the Action Plan for nature, people and the economy and the conservation status of the different species and habitats;
- would ask the EU to develop an ambitious policy to safeguard forests against fire by promoting the presence of livestock in woods and heathland;
- calls on the EU to promote pastoral occupations.