Brussels, 14/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - If the European Summit reaches agreement next year (probably in February) on the European Union's multiannual financial framework (MFF) for 2014-2020, then broad agreement on reform of the Common Agricultural Policy will be possible at the end of June, under the Irish Presidency. National payment agencies might not be ready in time for that though and direct aid might have to be paid out using the current model in 2014 in the meantime.
EU Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos told reporters on 10 December that if, as he hopes, there is agreement on the MFF in January or February next year and if the European Parliament and Council of Ministers play their part, then there could be a compromise agreement on reform of the CAP by the end of June. If there is political agreement on reform of the CAP before the end of June and the implementation rules are defined by the end of next year, then it will be very difficult for payment agencies to be ready to implement them in time for the direct payments they will be sending out in February 2014, along with the forms to be filled in for 2014, he warned.
If 2014 has to be a transition year for direct payments, then that will be arranged when the time comes because the priority right now is to get timely agreement about reform of the CAP and given the procedures involved, we would have needed agreement last year to be certain of being in a position to start in 2014, he explained.
At the Parliament, compromise amendments on reform of the CAP are expected to be ready at the Agriculture Committee on 15 December. They would then need to be translated before they can be voted upon on 23 and 24 January 2013. MEPs might vote in plenary in Strasbourg at the 11-14 March sitting. In order to accelerate negotiations with the ministers, however, informal inter-institutional talks may start immediately the vote by the Agriculture Committee, but only on issues on which there is broad agreement with the ParliamentP. (LC//transl.fl) 0