Infringement cases open at year-end 2019 - 2023
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By clicking on the multi-level chart, you can consult, for 2023, the number of infringement cases open at the year-end per policy sector and per type of infringement.
Compliance promotion activities in 2023
Meetings with Member States
- Since the introduction of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the Commission has made intensive use of committees to promote compliance. Beside their institutional role for the adoption of implementing acts, the committees in the agricultural sector provide an important forum for discussing, explaining, clarifying and ensuring common understanding of the applicable rules. Some of these committees are: Common Agricultural Policy Committee, Committee for the Common Organisation of the Agricultural Markets, Rural Development Committee, Committee on the Agricultural Funds, Agricultural Product Quality Policy Committee, Committee for Spirit Drinks, Committee on Organic Production and Committee for the Farm Accountancy Data Network.
- In 2023, the Commission held 290 meetings with Member States and stakeholders, under the framework of the different comitology committees in the area of agriculture and the Commission expert groups.
- 672 implementing and delegated acts have been adopted in 2023.
- The support to the Member States in the implementation of agricultural law is also provided through discussions in experts groups, through workshops, reports on implementation, formulating or updating guidelines, including the dissemination of good practices or exchange of experience. The expert groups also fulfil an institutional role in the preparation of delegated acts.
Other compliance promotion tools
- Member States had to adopt CAP Strategic Plans that have been implemented as of 1 January 2023. The Commission approved all submitted plans in 2022 and worked with Member States on the correct implementation of those plans in 2023, including through various guidelines and advice to Member States, as well as through the procedure for amendments to the plans.
- The Commission carried out a number of controls of Member States’ governance systems to monitor the Member States’ respect of the EU legislation regulating the support provided via the CAP to farmers and other beneficiaries. In case of serious deficiencies in the proper functioning of the governance systems, the Commission can recover EU financing from the Member States, an effective mechanism for correcting errors made and protecting the EU budget.
Follow-up given to petitions
In 2023, the Commission handled one petition related to alleged breaches of EU law in the common agricultural policy.
In Petition 0311/23, the petitioner claimed that the Polish authorities have infringed EU law in the field of spending funds from the European Union budget through the system for the implementation and spending of EU funds to support local action groups (LAGs). LAGs are supported under the LEADER programme, a 'bottom up' approach in which farmers, rural businesses, local organisations, public authorities, and individuals from different sectors come together to form LAGs.
The Commission decided not to pursue allegations on unequal treatment or current and pre-existing (previous programming period) LAGs, since the allegation could not be substantiated. It also decided not to pursuit allegations on the implementation of the 2023-2027 financing period, since the selection process is still ongoing and breach of EU law cannot be precluded. However, the Commission decided to further investigate the allegations on conflict of interest within the local action groups.
Important preliminary ruling
Outlook for 2024
In 2024, the Commission will continue important implementation and enforcement work in the area of agriculture and rural development. In particular, the Commission will:
- Monitor the implementation of Member States of their CAP Strategic Plans as well as their performance;
- Continue audits and financial corrections based on Regulation (EU) 2021/2116 regarding the financing, management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy and repealing Regulation (EU) 1306/2013;
- Conduct audits in the organic sector, to control application of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 on organic production and labelling of organic products and repealing Council Regulation (EC) 834/2007;
- Continue its conformity assessments of the transpositions by Member States of Directive (EU) 2019/633 on unfair trading practices in business-to-business relationships in the agricultural and food supply chain.