Brussels, 27/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - Representatives of the national parliaments and the committee on agriculture of the European Parliament agreed on the need to achieve a fair budget, to reduce red tape and make “'à la carte greening” possible, at a debate on Monday 25 June on the reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP).
“The new agricultural policy needs to have an adequate budget, to allow it to promote best professional practices and the supply of high-quality products for all European citizens”, the national and European parliamentarians agreed. “The CAP is facing unprecedented challenges: food security, price volatility and climate change”, a press release published on Tuesday summed up.
“Many member states welcomed the proposed reforms put forward by the rapporteurs of the European Parliament on 18-19 June, but they also called on the MEPs to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and to simplify the rules for farmers, whilst ensuring that European money will go to active farmers and not golf courses”, a press release reads.
“Neither the EP nor its committee on agriculture will adopt a definitive position on the reform of the CAP until the EU has got its multi-annual financial framework 2014-2020 in place”, the press release points out. The European Parliament is on an equal footing with the Council of Ministers in the co-decision procedure. This meeting also stressed consensus on the need for screening measures for the CAP, but as long as these “respect the specific situations of the different member states and regions”, many national MPs argued, wishing the European Parliament to pass on this call for flexibility. A further conclusion is that direct payments should be equally distributed across the EU, according to many national MPs, largely those from the new member states. Some called for each member state to receive a minimum of 80% of the European average of payments. Others called for equality of payments, without which the whole of the system will be called into question. (LC/transl.fl)