Agriculture Serious errors in the allocation of subsidies for organic farmers in the EU

The European Court of Auditors has certified that the EU Commission made serious errors in the allocation of subsidies for organic farmers. Farms could receive EU funds "even if they do not observe crop rotation or animal welfare standards".

Both of these are actually basic principles of organic farming, the Court of Auditors announced in Luxembourg. The auditors warned that the EU would probably miss its targets for the expansion of organic farming.

In their report, the auditors explained that it is "common practice for permits to be issued for the use of conventional seed for the cultivation of organic crops". In organic farming, stricter regulations apply to the use of genetically modified seeds and the use of pesticides, for example.

"Since 2014, the EU has provided around 12 billion euros without the organic sector benefiting from this to the necessary extent," the Court of Auditors found. Although the share of organic farming in agricultural land is increasing, it is likely to fall short of the target set in Brussels of a quarter of agricultural land by 2030.

Growth rate would have to double

According to the European statistics office Eurostat, the proportion of organic farmland in the EU was 10.5% in 2022, 4.6 percentage points higher than in 2013. The growth rate would have to double in order to reach the target of 25% by 2030, according to the Court of Auditors.

"To achieve lasting success, it is not enough to focus on expanding organically farmed areas," explained the auditor responsible, Keit Pentus-Rosimannus. "Otherwise, we run the risk of creating a system that is completely dependent on EU funding instead of a thriving industry that is supported by well-informed consumers."

SDA