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3.21. During the reporting period, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) continued on the path towards market orientation and away from trade-distorting support measures (...)
3.23. (...) The CAP will account for just under one-third of the overall EU budget. The proposed CAP budget will be divided between its two traditional "pillars": direct support for farmers/market measures and rural development. The EU aims to use 40% of the overall financial envelope of the CAP in support of climate objectives.

3.22. The Council and European Parliament also adopted the important legislative initiative on Unfair Trading Practices strengthening the position of small and medium-sized enterprises in the food supply chain. They also agreed on new rules for organic production and labelling of organic products to ensure an update of EU regulations for this growing segment of the agricultural market.

3.25. Since the last review, the EU adopted three major legislative acts in the SPS field, namely the Regulation on Official Controls , the Regulation on Veterinary Medicines and the Regulation on transparency and sustainability of risk assessment in the food chain.

3.27. The new legislation on transparency and sustainability of risk assessment in the food chain is an important step towards the modernisation of the EU food safety policy; (...)

3.37. The EU Environment Action Programme provides strategic guidance and ensures predictable and coordinated action for Europe's environment and climate policy. The 7th Environment Action Programme ("7th EAP") entered into force in 2014 and runs until the end of 2020. The 7th EAP has been a crucial governance tool, with strong links to national environment strategies and has led to more coherent and effective policy-making. The findings from the 7th EAP Evaluation will inform future decisions about a successor environment action programme.

3.38. The Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP), which was adopted in 2015 and established a comprehensive framework introducing measures covering the whole product lifecycle from production via consumption to waste management and the market for secondary raw materials, is now fully implemented. On 4 March 2019, the European Commission adopted a comprehensive report on the implementation of the CEAP. The report on the implementation of the Circular Economy Action Plan presents the plastics strategy as an example of where a systemic approach was successfully adopted to tackle barriers and challenges in a material specific lifecycle. In January 2018, the EU adopted the EU Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy. The strategy pursues an ambitious approach for plastic packaging recyclability and contains a strong response to the problem of microplastics, which are a significant source of marine pollution. By 2030, all plastic packaging should be reusable or recyclable. Furthermore, the strategy calls for global action to reduce plastics pollution.

3.39. In the area of biodiversity, as regards the implementation of the Regulation on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species , the EU adopted Commission Implementing Regulation updating the list of invasive alien species of Union concern increasing the number of invasive alien species of Union concern subject to the restrictions to 49 and Commission Delegated Regulation on risk assessments in relation to invasive alien species specifying the elements to be covered by the risk assessments.

3.40. Furthermore, the European Commission adopted the Communication on Stepping up EU Action to Protect and Restore the World's Forests. The overall aim is to protect and grow the world's forest cover to improve public health and livelihoods. This is in line with the EU's broader objective to halt global forest cover loss by 2030 and with the EU's existing international commitments. Halting deforestation and forest degradation, combined with sustainable restoration, re- and afforestation activities, provide opportunities for economic development. This requires putting a particular emphasis on the sustainable production and consumption of agricultural and forest-based products.

3.41. The EU has put climate action as a central policy objective. The EU is on track to keep its 2020 greenhouse gas emissions well below the target and finalised the legislative framework to deliver on its objectives for 2030. This should allow the EU to adopt an ambitious long-term strategy, striving for climate neutrality in line with the Paris Agreement and confirming Europe's commitment to lead in global climate action to the UNFCCC by 2020. Transitioning to a low greenhouse gas emission, resource efficient, and climate resilient economy will require a transformative effort demanding a fundamental shift in technologies, energy systems, business and investment behaviour, and ultimately, in society as a whole.

3.42. The climate and energy framework was revised upwards in 2018 setting three updated key targets for the year 2030: at least a 40% cut in greenhouse gas emissions from the 1990 level: at least a 32% share for renewable energy and at least a 32.5% improvement in energy efficiency. Both the renewable energy and the energy efficiency targets are subject to an upward review clause by 2023.