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MEPs voted to restrict funding for livestock farms that exceed a certain \u2018stocking density\u2019, to set targets to reduce overall stocking density and for new rules saying that farm animals must be able to lie down, stand up, extend their limbs and turn around. [1] The committee also voted to block national subsidies for large livestock facilities not respecting basic animal welfare principles. <\/span> Greenpeace EU agriculture policy director Marco Contiero<\/b> said: <\/span>\u201cFactory farms wreck the countryside, heat the climate and put small farmers out of business, but MEPs put forward some solid plans that could start to change that. Study after study shows the immense damage factory farming does, so Europe\u2019s agricultural system must evolve. The <\/span><\/i>agriculture committee must now listen to what science tells us is good for the planet, and help small farmers \u2013 make the CAP work for ecological farming, and end factory farming.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n The environment committee also voted to increase CAP funding reserved for climate and environmental measures, devoting 40% of the rural development budget, instead of 30% as the European Commission had proposed, and 30% of the direct payment budget.<\/span><\/p>\n This week, <\/span>Greenpeace research<\/span><\/a> revealed that over 71% of the EU\u2019s farmland is used to feed livestock, and that 18-20% of the EU\u2019s total budget, through the CAP\u2019s payment system, is linked to the animal farming sector. Eurostat\u2019s own figures show that 72% of Europe\u2019s livestock is produced on the largest category of farms.<\/span> Next steps for CAP<\/b><\/p>\n The next CAP, which will cover the years 2021-2027, is being negotiated between national governments and the European Parliament. The European Parliament\u2019s agriculture committee will vote on the European Commission\u2019s proposed CAP reform on 6 or 7 March, and a vote in the Parliament\u2019s plenary session is planned in April.<\/span> Notes:<\/b> Contacts<\/b>:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/b>Greenpeace EU press desk<\/b>: +32 2 274 1911, <\/span>pressdesk.eu@greenpeace.org<\/span><\/a>
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\n[1] <\/b>A farm\u2019s \u2018stocking density\u2019 is the number of animals it raises per hectare, measured in standard <\/span>livestock units<\/span><\/a>. The European Parliament\u2019s environment committee voted that national CAP plans must foresee measures to reduce the national stocking density to 0.7 livestock units per hectare by 2028, and added a new requirement for farmers to not exceed this stocking density if they are to receive CAP funds in the years 2021-2027 \u2013 this a requirement of 0.14 hectares per sheep, 0.71 hectares per sow, or 1.43 hectares per dairy cow.<\/span>
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\nMarco Contiero, Greenpeace EU agriculture policy director<\/b>: +32 47 777 7034, <\/span>marco.contiero@greenpeace.org<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n