Brussels, 12/04/2010 (Agence Europe) - In his draft report on the future of the post-2013 common agricultural policy (CAP), George Lyon (ALDE, United Kingdom) highlights five main areas to make the CAP into a “coherent and credible” policy: 1) food safety and fair trade; 2) sustainability; 3) agriculture in the whole of Europe, 4) protecting biodiversity and environmental protection; and 5) green growth.
These five priorities should include a common framework that is clear, simple and flexible for helping farmers and the whole of society. According to the rapporteur, the future CAP policy should remain a common and single policy with a level of aid harmonised throughout the EU in conditions that are equal and appropriate for farmers and which guarantee the effective functioning of the single market. The ALDE MEP explains that a strong CAP is crucial for guaranteeing European Union farmers remain competitive on the world market in the face of competition from their well-subsidised trade partners (such as the US and Japan, Ed). It is also important for ensuring the food supply to European consumers. The new CAP should also ensure local level food production and balanced regional development. Lyon believes European farmers and the CAP help towards meeting the priorities of the EUROPE 2020 strategy in combating climate change and creating jobs through green growth.
According to the British MEP, the post-2013 CAP budget should be at least maintained to its 2013 level. He says that the EU budget should include a specific reserve budget line that can be activated in crises, in addition to better distribution of the budgetary envelope. Mr Lyon believes that the “hectares basis” is not enough to reduce the divisions affecting the distribution of funds. He recommends the use of supplementary objective criteria, such as the purchasing power co-efficient. He also calls for the creation of “fair, clear and objective criteria” when distributing rural development aid. The rapporteur also calls for the definitive decoupling of payments and the continuation of specific measures for producers in regions suffering from natural handicaps. Mr Lyon points out that when the new member states joined, they expected similar aid granted to the older member states, which required funding. (C-C.G./transl.fl)