Posted on March, 16 2020

Instead, the Commission has pushed back the Access to Documents request deadline to 3 April, despite the report in question having been finalised for months. 

With less than two weeks to go until the publication of the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies, the European Commission has rejected WWF’s request to immediately publish a report on the impacts of agriculture policy on biodiversity, and instead has pushed back the Access to Documents deadline to 3 April, despite the report having been finalised for months. 

This independent evaluation is likely the most comprehensive study to date on the topic and the reluctance of the Commission to publish it suggests it could contain well substantiated evidence of the failures of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in preserving European habitats, landscapes and biodiversity. 

“The argument provided by the Commission to extend the deadline is crooked. Publishing a report that is fully completed and delivered by the contractors does not take 15 days, but just one clear instruction and a few clicks,” said Jabier Ruiz, Senior Policy Officer for Agriculture, WWF European Policy Office. “Apparently, the Commission has no interest in releasing the findings of the report during the crunch time for the preparation of the Biodiversity and Farm to Fork Strategies.”

Contact
Jabier Ruiz
Senior Policy Officer, Agriculture
+32 470 66 81 91

Edel Shanahan
Communications Officer, Biodiversity and Agriculture
+ 32 484 49 35 15