Brussels, 17/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - Representatives of the European Parliament, Council and European Commission met at 4.00pm on Tuesday 17 September to seek a political agreement in “trialogue” on a number of financial issues relating to reform of common agriculture policy (CAP). These included: degressivity of aid (the rate of reduction of direct payments) and the rate of transfer of credits between the two pillars (the first contains direct aid and the second relates to rural development measures). Aspects of the reform linked to the multiannual financial framework (MFF) could not be tackled, no agreement on the budget for 2014-2020 having been reached.
The three institutions were expected to be able to overcome their differences on these sensitive points. The next Agriculture Council, on 23 September, will debate the results of discussions. A last trialogue is scheduled for 24 September. The EP agriculture committee will vote on the texts reforming the CAP on 30 September.
The agreement will not be a formality. The Council hopes to stick to the budgetary elements finalised in June in the context of CAP reform. MEPs consider that questions relating to the MFF are part of the CAP reform and therefore come under co-decision procedure. It is the rate of degressivity (applied as of €150,000 in annual support for the same farm) that poses the greatest problem. The Council is looking to a 5% rate at most. The European Parliament has been asking for 15%. They may agree to a compromise of 6-7%. MEPs hope to restrict countries' margin for manoeuvre regarding fund transfers between pillars (from 25% according to the Council to 15% for member states having direct per hectare payments that are below the average, and from 15% to 10% for countries whose payments are above average). (LC/transl.jl)