Brussels, 22/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - In Luxembourg on Monday 22 October, the European Agriculture Ministers showed differences in their appreciation of the internal convergence of direct aid, one of the main planks of the reform of the common agriculture policy (CAP).
A group of countries made up of, amongst others, France, Spain, Italy, Austria and Ireland takes the view that the aim of achieving convergence of aid (better division of aid between old and new member states) in 2020 is unfeasible and called for more time.
The question is how we manage to break with historical references and achieve genuine convergence in 2020 without causing major disturbances to certain agricultural sectors, explained Dacian Ciolos, the European Agriculture Commissioner. He warned the countries. He does not want a pretend convergence, but a real convergence of aid to income within each region or each country, depending on what you choose. He insisted that his willingness to obtain a practical convergence of basic aid to income is genuine. However, for aid to greening, this will be the same for each farmer at 30% of the regional or national envelope of direct aid from the first year of reform of the CAP, the commissioner stated. The same level of aid will be imposed for each region, from the beginning. This is logical, fair and, I feel, unequivocal, concluded Ciolos.
Young farmers. The Council also discussed the mechanism of aid for young farmers setting up. Most countries are in favour of an optional mechanism of start-up aid for young farmers, and many countries wanted this aid to come under both the first (direct aid) and second (rural development) pillars. Some countries, such as Portugal, called for this support to be obligatory, as the European Commission is proposing. (LC/transl.fl)