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OPINION (COM(2025)0986 – C100336/2025 – 2025/0394(COD))

On the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directives 2008/98/EC, 2010/75/EU, (EU) 2015/2193 and (EU) 2024/1785 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards simplification of some requirements and reduction of administrative burden

AGRI-AD-787938

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development · Rapporteur: Christine Singer

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The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development proposes amendments to the Commission's proposal to simplify environmental rules for livestock farms under Directive 2010/75/EU. It asks for proportionate, clear and verifiable environmental standards for livestock farms, and for strict reciprocity in trade agreements with third countries. It seeks to limit the aggregation of nearby farms, protect sensitive farm data from publication, and give farmers more flexibility on monitoring and compliance deadlines. It proposes that livestock installations be presumed to be in the overriding public interest, and that uniform operating rules be fully harmonised with limited derogations. It delays the Commission's implementing act on uniform operating rules to 1 September 2027 and requires an impact assessment before adoption.

Committee position. The committee proposes amendments to the Commission's proposal to simplify environmental requirements for livestock farms, seeking reduced administrative burden, proportionate standards, data protection, and flexibility on monitoring and compliance deadlines.

Key points

  1. Adds recitals stating that simplifying legislation must reduce the administrative burden on livestock farms and that environmental standards must be proportionate and compatible with their economic viability.
  2. Adds a recital requiring effective enforcement of strict reciprocity clauses in free trade agreements so that imported products meet strictly equivalent requirements.
  3. Adds recitals stating that several nearby livestock farms may only be treated as a single installation where there is a genuine operational connection, and that aggregation rules require case-by-case assessment by Member States.
  4. Adds a recital stating that publication of environmental information must protect sensitive data, farm security and family-owned livestock farms.
  5. Deletes recitals on removing organic poultry farms from the directive's scope and on adjusting the conversion rate for unweaned piglets.
  6. Adds recitals stating that thresholds should be objective and verifiable, that lowering them could increase the burden on smaller holdings, and that new livestock farms should be included only in line with proportionality.
  7. Amends Article 70b so that aggregation applies only where installations form part of the same legal entity and are in close proximity, and requires a Commission report on the aggregation rule by 31 December 2028.
  8. Inserts a new Article 70aa stating that livestock installations are presumed to be in the overriding public interest, that permitting must be efficient, and that Member States may restrict this in justified cases.
  9. Amends Articles 70c to 70i to allow digital submission, avoid duplicate information requests, permit alternative monitoring methods, reduce monitoring frequency where emissions are stable, and require proportionate, risk-based inspections.
  10. Amends Articles 70g and 70h to limit public participation and access to review to persons directly affected, and allows Member States to withhold or aggregate sensitive farm information.
  11. Amends Article 70i to make uniform operating rules fully harmonised, prohibit stricter national measures, allow less stringent levels in justified exceptional cases, and delay the implementing act to 1 September 2027 with a prior impact assessment.
  12. Amends Article 82 and Annex Ia to set new capacity thresholds for pigs and poultry and to delete the 4-year and 5-year compliance deadlines for larger installations.

Who is affected

  • Livestock farms, especially family-owned and smaller holdings, which would face reduced administrative burden and more flexible compliance rules.
  • Member States, which would gain flexibility to restrict the overriding public interest presumption and to apply aggregation rules in their national context.
  • Farm operators, who would benefit from data protection, less frequent monitoring and proportionate penalties.
  • The Commission, which would have to delay its implementing act, carry out an impact assessment and report on the aggregation rule.

Figures and deadlines

  • 1 September 2027: deadline for the Commission to adopt the implementing act on uniform operating rules.
  • 31 December 2028: deadline for the Commission to report on the application of the aggregation rule.
  • 31 December 2026: deadline for the Commission to report the results of its assessment under Article 73.
  • 2 000 places for production pigs over 30 kg, or 750 places for sows: new threshold for pig rearing in Annex Ia.
  • 40 000 places: new threshold for poultry rearing in Annex Ia.
  • 6 years of the entry into force of the implementing act: compliance deadline for all installations covered by Annex Ia.
  • At least once every 4 years for groundwater and 9 years for soil: minimum periodic monitoring frequency.