The auditors' verdict is devastating: more than 100 billion euros explicitly for more climate protection would have failed.
From this, the inspectors deduce consequences for the EU agricultural reform.
Brussels - From the point of view of the Court of Auditors, the EU agricultural funds do not make European agriculture more climate-friendly.
Even if the funds are explicitly intended to benefit climate protection, they have not resulted in agriculture emitting fewer greenhouse gases, as the European Court of Auditors criticized in a report published on Monday.
Emissions have not decreased since 2010
The greenhouse gas emissions of agriculture have not decreased since 2010, "although from 2014 to 2020 over a quarter of all EU agricultural expenditure - more than 100 billion euros - went into climate protection," according to a statement by the auditors.
Agriculture is currently responsible for around ten percent of EU greenhouse gas emissions.
It is also criticized that the European agricultural policy does not offer any incentives for effective, climate-friendly processes and that the promoted measures have little potential for climate protection.
There is currently a dispute in Brussels about how to reform the EU's multi-billion dollar agricultural policy.
It is the declared aim of all those involved to make food and feed production in Europe more environmentally friendly.
Consequences for EU agricultural reform
The reform should put more emphasis on lower emissions in agriculture and make it more transparent how this policy contributes to climate protection, said Viorel Ştefan, the member of the European Court of Auditors responsible for the report.
The Court of Auditors also criticized the fact that the EU's agricultural policy does not aim to limit the number of livestock, nor does it offer farmers incentives to do so.
It even promotes the sale of animal products.
The emissions from livestock farming made up "around half of agricultural emissions".
The Green agricultural politician Martin Häusling emphasized that as long as the measures of the agricultural policy did not contain consistent proposals to reduce the number of animals, one of the largest greenhouse gas sources in agriculture would not be reduced.
The same applies to moor and grassland protection.
The Christian Democratic EPP politician Alexander Bernhuber emphasized that the criticism should be taken note of, although he had a different opinion.
In addition, the upcoming Common Agricultural Policy will focus more on climate and environmental services.
Court of Auditors holds EU Commission responsible
The Court of Auditors called on the EU Commission to work towards specific CO2 reduction goals in EU countries and to regularly review the effects of agricultural policy on the climate. As a further suggestion, the auditors mentioned that peat areas should be restored instead of allowing “climate-damaging measures” such as payments to farmers who use drained peat areas. The budget of the EU agricultural policy amounts to around 387 billion euros for the years 2021 to 2027. dpa