Policies addressing climate change and agriculture

in the EU

Nikiforos SIVENAS

European Commission, DG AGRI

2EastAgri, 13-14 October 2010, Roundtable on climate change and agriculture 2

AGRICULTUREAND

FORESTRY

Impacts - Adaptation

GHG emissions – Mitigation

Contribution to bioenergy,

biomaterials and

carbon sinks

Climate change and agriculture

3EastAgri, 13-14 October 2010, Roundtable on climate change and agriculture

EU TARGETS SET FOR 2020

An Integrated Approach to Energy and Climate Change

20% GHG reduction from 1990 level

20% energy use savings

20% renewables in overall EU energy use

- 10% renewable fuels in EU transport fuel- Subject to being sustainable;- Commercial availability of advanced biofuels

4EastAgri, 13-14 October 2010, Roundtable on climate change and agriculture

EU agricultural GHG emissions - 2006

CO2 – Energy use (1-2%)

5EastAgri, 13-14 October 2010, Roundtable on climate change and agriculture

Declined by 20% by 2006 (EU-15: - 11%)

Further decline projected by 1-3% by 2010

Drivers: decreased livestock numbers and fertiliser use, improved manure handling

EU policies are contributing: CAP reforms, water policy

Trends of EU agricultural emissions

6EastAgri, 13-14 October 2010, Roundtable on climate change and agriculture

EU approach to adaptation

White Paper: Adapting to climate change: Towards a European framework for action adopted by the Commission 1.4.2009

Accompanied by sectoral Working Documents, including:

− Adapting to climate change: the challenge for European agriculture and rural areas

7EastAgri, 13-14 October 2010, Roundtable on climate change and agriculture

EU adaptation strategy

• Improve resilience to climate change impacts

• Long term, phased approach

− Phase 1 (2009-2012): groundwork for a comprehensive EU adaptation strategy

− Phase 2 (2013 → ): implementation

• Phase 1 focuses on

− building the knowledge base− integrating adaptation into key EU policy areas− examining instruments and costs− international co-operation on adaptation

8EastAgri, 13-14 October 2010, Roundtable on climate change and agriculture

• No specific “climate instruments”, but the CAP contributes to mitigation and adaptation

• Decoupled income support • Cross-compliance: SMR and GAEC

• Environmental legislation plays an important role

• Nitrates Directive (water protection)• Emission ceilings (NEC - ammonia)

• Rural development - targeted support for climate change adaptation and mitigation

• Strengthened by Health Check proposals

• Post 2013: further integration of climate concerns into the CAP instruments

Role of the CAP

9EastAgri, 13-14 October 2010, Roundtable on climate change and agriculture

Energy-efficient equipment and buildings Investments manure storage facilities Improve efficiency N fertilizer On-farm biogas production Training Farm advisory services

Agri-environmental measures Reduced fertilizer use Extensification of livestock Soil management Land use changes (afforestation)

Role of Rural Development

Processing of agricultural/forest biomass for local renewable energy

Installations/infrastructure other renewable energies

Mitigation, adaptation options in all axes

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10EastAgri, 13-14 October 2010, Roundtable on climate change and agriculture

Research and development

Joint Programming Initiative: cooperation and collaboration between national research programmes for more effectively tackling common European challenges in the area of agriculture, food security and climate change

Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development (FP7) – generally open for participation by third countries

International research co-operation - partnerships with 148 countries: Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific (ACP), Asia, Latin America, the Mediterranean, the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe and Central Asia – specifically on environmental issues