Brussels, 14/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has announced the end, as of Saturday 12 June, of the wide-ranging public debate on the future of the common agricultural policy (CAP) (see EUROPE 10153). European Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Cioloº is pleased to have received over 5,000 responses, with over 1,300 from Germany, more than 1,000 from Poland, nearly 700 from France and over 400 from Latvia. A summary of the contributions will be presented at the major conference on the CAP after 2013 in Brussels on 19-20 July. “The CAP is not just for farmers, but for all EU citizens, as taxpayers and consumers,” said Cioloº. The European Commission will bring forward a communication on the reform of the CAP post-2013 in early November.
The job facing the commissioner is not an easy one. He will have to devise instruments that will support producers' incomes, take account of price volatility and ensure food security, while contributing to tackling climate change, protecting the environment, and public and animal health. The current crisis could make negotiations even more delicate, with some countries, such as the United Kingdom, already intent on spending less for the CAP in future. (L.C./transl.rt)