Brussels, 12/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - The first three-way talks on reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP) on Thursday 11 April examined the aid scheme for young farmers, aid for small farms and the definition of what constitutes a basic payment and an “active farmer”. Disagreements among the EU institutions emerged over aid for young farmers and small farms. The next three-way talks will be held on 17 April and will examine rural development programmes and financing of the CAP.
For the aid scheme for young farmers, the EP and Commission want the system to be compulsory, but the Council of Ministers wants it to be optional. MEPs want countries to set aside 2% of direct payments from the CAP for their country for young farmers, with the option of increasing that amount.
There are different views of the aid system for small farms, too, in terms of the threshold beyond which small farms are exempt from the new rules on the greening of farm and eco-criteria (aid only being paid if environmental and animal welfare rules are respected). The EP and Council want the aid scheme to be optional, but the Commission wants it to be compulsory.
The Council wants countries to be able to exclude certain bodies from being classed as an “active farmer” and would make provision for an optional negative list (bodies, such as airports and golf clubs, that should not be granted farm EU aid). The EP wants the list of bodies not to be granted aid to be compulsory if certain national criteria are met. The Commission supports the idea of a negative list.
The chair of the EP Agriculture Committee, Paolo De Castro (S&D, Italy), said the meeting had been positive. (LC/transl.fl)