On 29 July 2026, the European Commission adopted a proposal to codify Council Regulation (EC) No 1217/2009 on the Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN), consolidating the original regulation and all its amendments into a single, clearer text without altering any substantive obligations for Member States or agricultural holdings. The codification, published as COM(2026) 413 final, aims to improve legal clarity and readability by merging the 2009 framework and subsequent changes into one act, following the accelerated procedure agreed in the 1994 interinstitutional agreement. No new policy measures are introduced; the proposal is purely technical.
The FSDN collects farm-level data on economic, environmental, and social sustainability to support Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) analysis, advisory services, and benchmarking. Data categories cover soil, air, water, biodiversity, and social dimensions including women and young farmers. The Commission can amend the annex via delegated acts, with at least one year before new data topics apply. Personal data processing is limited to what is strictly necessary, complying with the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) and Regulation (EU) 2018/1725. Member States must allow liaison agencies free, timely access to national data sources and may use FSDN data for statistical purposes. Participation remains voluntary for holdings; the Commission publishes aggregated results for benchmarking and public environmental information.
Stakeholder impact is minimal due to the codification's technical nature. EU regulatory bodies gain a streamlined legal text, reducing administrative complexity. National authorities of EU countries face no new obligations but benefit from clearer rules. EU agricultural holdings see no change in voluntary participation or data requirements. EU consumers and civil society may indirectly benefit from continued aggregated data publication supporting CAP transparency. The proposal now proceeds to the European Parliament and Council for adoption under the ordinary legislative procedure, where no substantive debate is expected given the codification's non-policy character.