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4.20. Exemptions to these criteria may apply, such as for farmers participating in the small farmers' scheme, farmers with a large proportion of permanent grassland, and farmers that meet the requirements for organic production.

4.21. Eight member States opted to allow farmers to meet some of their greening obligations through equivalent practices between 2014 and 2018.

4.22. Following the 2016 review of greening, modifications to the underlying delegated regulation , aimed at simplifying elements of greening and increasing its effectiveness, were made in 2017. They included flexibilities in the application of Ecological Focus Areas (EFAs), and the prohibition of plant protection products on some EFAs from 2018.

4.23. The Omnibus Regulation also modified the greening provisions, so as to provide greater flexibility for member States. These changes notably included the extension of the list of EFA types to include areas with silvergrass (Miscanthus), cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum or "cup plant") and land lying fallow for melliferous plants. Some of these modifications were followed by changes to the delegated regulation.

4.40. The proposals identified three general objectives to be pursued through EU support, funded by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): (i) to foster a smart, resilient and diversified agricultural sector ensuring food security; (ii) to bolster environmental care and climate action, and to contribute to the environmental- and climate-related objectives of the EU; (iii) to strengthen the socio-economic fabric of rural areas.

4.41. These three general objectives ought to be achieved through nine specific objectives: (...) (iv) contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, and sustainable energy; (v) foster sustainable development and efficient management of natural resources, such as water, soil and air; (vi) contribute to the protection of biodiversity, enhance ecosystem services, and preserve habitats and landscapes; (...) (viii) promote employment, growth, social inclusion and local development in rural areas, including bio-economy and sustainable forestry; and (ix) improve the response of EU agriculture to societal demands on food and health, including safe, nutritious and sustainable food, and animal welfare.

4.42. (...) a higher level of ambition regarding environmental and climatic requirements, greater use of knowledge and innovation, the provision of complementary support for young farmers, and a stronger focus on support for small and medium sized farms.

4.51. In 2019, an amount of EUR 50 million of EU funding, to be matched by national funds to a maximum amount of EUR 100 million, was made available for a temporary exceptional adjustment aid to farmers in the beef and veal sector in Ireland , due to particular challenges faced by the sector, including concerns over the sector's contribution to GHG emissions, falling domestic consumption, and the uncertainty around the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU.

4.55. Operational programmes in the fruit and vegetable sector must have at least two objectives among a list of objectives, including specifically for the fruit and vegetable sector: (...) environmental measures; and crisis prevention and management. The following type of activities are covered under this latter objective: market withdrawal; green harvesting or non harvesting; (...)

4.62. These exceptional measures came in addition to the instruments already available to face such situations, including rural development risk management tools, and options provided to fund investment costs to restore agricultural land and production potential damaged in the case of natural disasters.