Nicosia, 11/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - If an agreement is reached by end 2012 on the multiannual financial framework 2014-2020, then an agreement on reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) could be reached “in March or April” 2013, said Ireland's Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney, speaking in Cyprus on Monday 10 September. “Otherwise there will be pressure on the CAP for a deal in May or June. Ireland will be a pivotal presidency - which would much rather be able to focus on the CAP”, he told the press. He noted the “very good progress” made in the last six months and said that the relationship between the Commission and the European Parliament is better now than it was before.
Speaking of convergence of direct aid, one of the difficult points of CAP reform, Coveney felt the EU member states need flexibility in the pace and level of internal convergence. He said that Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Slovenia were interested by the ideas put forward by Ireland, Portugal, Italy and Spain. According to those member states, convergence should be gradual and keep a tight rein on losses for some countries.
On the subject of the 2014-2020 budget, Coveney admitted that it was likely that there would be “some cut in the overall budget”. Some member states are taking a hard line, this being “normal political positioning”, he said.
The “big players will ultimately have to find a position somewhere between where they are now and the Commission proposal”, Coveney said. “CAP cuts would be damaging”, he added, going on to point out that the EP has the right to take a hard line on the budget but that, ultimately, member states have to pay the money.
Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos, too, was asked about the risks of cuts in the EU budget, and especially in the agriculture budget. He said in response that he did not intend to amend either the budgetary proposal on the CAP or the proposals on CAP reform. “We will see what happens. It is clear that this decision will influence our CAP reform”, he admitted, going on to urge European leaders to shoulder their political responsibility, saying: “But we also need political responsibility. When we see climate change and other things, the loss of soil fertility, etc., these are real things which we cannot ignore for the medium term. We must ensure that farmers have sustainable production”. He said he understands that the economic situation is difficult, but “the EU budget cannot be compared with national budgets. It is an investment budget”. (LC/transl.jl)