European Union wproIt has fresh environmental standards that will importantly affect Polish agriculture. GAEC 2 standard, which has been in force since 15 March 2025, covers almost 400 1000 hectares of agricultural land in Poland. That's over twice.more than originally expected. What are the consequences for farmers and are the fresh rules fair?
GAEC 2: Shock for farmers
In October, the Ministry of Agriculture and agrarian improvement (MRIRW) ensured that GAEC 2 would cover 147 000 hectares. However, a map was published just before the call for direct payments, indicating that the area had grown to nearly 400 000 hectares. "Many farmers have suffered a immense shock due to the fact that there are areas where up to 100 percent of the land in a given farm is covered by GAEC 2", said Damian Murawiec of the Young Farmers Movement in the program "Unfinished Conversations" on tv Trwam.
GAEC 2 (Good Agricultural Culture compatible with Environmental Protection) bans the clearing of the areas covered and the renewal of melioration systems. In the long term, this can lead to subsoil and arable land loss. According to the Ministry of Climate and Environment, the standard should apply to land with an organic substance content of more than 15%. In Poland this would mean over a million hectares.
Compromise or failure?
The MRIRW sought to liberalise the rules, proposing that GAEC 2 should cover land with an organic substance content above 60%. Unfortunately, more than 2,000 applications from Polish environmental organisations were received by the European Commission, which forced the Ministry of Agriculture to compromise. Eventually, it was established that the standard would cover 400,000 hectares.
Damian Murawiec pointed out that in the areas covered by GAEC 2, “no peat can be obtained. Worst of all, fresh melioration devices cannot be built in these zones and existing ones cannot be renewed." This is simply a serious regulation for farmers who may lose the chance to usage their land effectively.
GAEC 8: Next challenges
In 2027 another standard will apply – GAEC 8. It assumes that 10% of the arable land is to be left under the ground. Together with GAEC 2 it may turn out that up to 13% of Poland's surface will be environmentally friendly.
Green Governance: Goals and controversy
GAEC 2 and GAEC 8 are part of the EU's Green Deal, which aims to reconstruct at least 20% of the EU's land and sea areas and all ecosystems requiring reconstruction by 2050 by 2030. The planned activities include, among others, expanding organic carbon resources in mineral soils, rehydrating dried peat bogs and expanding the diversity of agricultural landscape.
However, farmers have been protesting these regulations from the outset. They claim that the fresh government imposes additional obligations without adequate financial support. peculiarly controversial is the work to rehydrate dried peat bogs, which may importantly reduce agricultural production in these areas.
Farmers' protests in Poland and the EU
The Green Deal has been under way for a long time, not only in Poland but besides in another EU countries. Farmers are afraid that the fresh rules will importantly reduce their production capacity while not providing adequate compensation.
Summary
The fresh EU GAEC 2 and GAEC 8 standards are also challenge for Polish agriculture. Although the nonsubjective is to defend the environment, the introduction of these is controversial. Farmers fear failure of arable land and production constraints. Will the European Union find a way to reconcile environmental objectives with farmers' needs? Time will tell.
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Media reports that the EU wants to exclude 400 000 ha of agricultural land from usage in Poland
