Auditors are conducting an assessment whether the European Union’s agricultural policy helps maintain and enhance biodiversity.
In particular, the European Court of Auditors will examine the design of the bloc's biodiversity strategy and its application in the common agricultural policy (CAP).
They will also assess the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of EU funding for biodiversity in farming.
Agricultural biodiversity refers to all ecosystems and life forms directly related to farming.
This includes rare seed varieties and animal breeds, many organisms such as soil fauna, weeds, pests, predators, and all of the native plants and animals living on and passing through a farm.
According to the auditors, biodiversity in the EU is in a 'continuous, strong decline, particularly as a result of farming activity'.
“One million species worldwide are at risk of extinction, a recent international report warns. In the EU, agriculture is the largest contributor to biodiversity loss”, said Janusz Wojciechowski, the member of the European Court of Auditors responsible for the audit.
“Our audit will determine how helpful EU contribution has been to correct and even reverse this situation.”
Maintaining biodiversity
In 2011, the EU adopted its current biodiversity strategy, which aims to help stop biodiversity loss by 2020.
One of its main targets is to increase the contribution of agriculture to at least maintaining the same level of biodiversity.
According to European Commission estimates, around €85 billion has been earmarked for the 2014-2020 period to tackle biodiversity loss. EU support for farmland biodiversity comes mainly from the CAP.
The audit will assess the contribution of the EU’s agriculture policy in the period 2014-2020 to maintaining and enhancing biodiversity by 2020.
In particular, the auditors will examine whether the biodiversity strategy and the CAP legal framework were well-designed and whether the European Commission and the member states have improved farming’s contribution to biodiversity.
The audit will include visits to five Member States: Germany, Ireland, Poland, Cyprus and Romania.
