Copa-Cogeca warned today against new EU Commission proposals which make the EU forestry and farming sectors monitor and report from 2013 any changes to land use that could affect greenhouse gas emissions, as part of measures to curb climate change. “They are neither feasible nor coherent given the current level of understanding”, Copa-Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen stressed.

Action plans to limit or reduce emissions

Under the move, the Commission proposes that member states draw up accounts on afforestation, reforestation, deforestation, forest management, crop land management and grazing land management connected to carbon, methane and nitrous oxide emissions. Member states are also required to submit action plans to limit or reduce emissions, and the Commission may issue recommendations "with a view to enhance member states' efforts. Member states shall take due account of the Commission's findings.

But Pekka Pesonen argues that this is not in line with international commitments recently agreed under the second commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol from 1st January 2013 in Durban. Copa-Cogeca calls on the Commission to explain why it would change the rules only three months after Durban. Secondly, scientific knowledge of the carbon storage capacity and emissions from soils, and the effects of different management methods on them, is still far from complete.

Mandatory accounting for agricultural soils

Copa-Cogeca therefore strongly believes that mandatory accounting for agricultural soils and grazing land should not be included in any Commission proposals until a clear decision is taken at the international talks, due to the administrative burden and cost of monitoring and the significant uncertainties linked to it. The impact on forestry and agricultural production is not yet clearly established. Copa-Cogeca insists that accounting for forest and agricultural soils must remain voluntary.

Finally, Copa-Cogeca wants to know how this proposal would be linked to the objectives established under the “Effort Sharing Decision” 406/2009/EC for the different Member States. It is unclear to us how the contribution of LULUCF to the EU green house gas emissions (GHG) reductions commitment and the gas emission limits established by the Decision will be addressed (jointly or separately).

Copa-Cogeca consequently recommends further analysis of the consequences of including Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) in the EU commitments and also highlights the need for both the accounting methods and the MRV rules to be clarified before deciding whether to include LULUCF in the EU commitments. “With the upcoming CAP reform, food demand increasing, EU farmers and their cooperatives being confronted with major challenges such as dwindling resources and rising production costs, I urge the EU institutions to avoid imposing any additional constraints on farmers and acting too hastily”, Pekka Pesonen said.

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