Brussels, 14/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - Progress has been made but there is still work to be done. That was generally the feeling that pervaded not only the Council but also the European Parliament regarding delegated acts for the implementation of common agricultural policy (CAP) reform.
During the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA), held on Monday 13 January, the European Commission explained that it had had little time to prepare the texts (two and a half months) and confirmed that ten proposals for delegated acts were ready. Two of those proposals were adopted by the Commission and the eight others, which were somewhat more complex, are to be the subject of interservice consultation as of Tuesday 14 January.
It is worth remembering that, on 11 November 2013, 24 EU countries had called on the European Commission to correct a series of delegated acts on CAP reform (see EUROPE 10961). Many delegations recognised during the SCA on Monday 13 January that the elements communicated during the meetings of working groups had allowed considerable improvements to be made to the texts appearing in the initial proposals. Nonetheless, countries are still having difficulties with a number of points.
Penalties in event of failure to comply with rules on aid greening. Many countries (including the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Italy, Poland and the Czech Republic) consider that penalties are not proportionate and could result in major aid reductions for minor infringements.
Taking into account some crops/farming practices on land of ecological value. Some countries (such as France, Austria, Hungary and Slovenia) are requesting that the “ecological” coefficient attributed to legume vegetables should be higher. Others (Finland, Estonia and Latvia) consider pastureland or forest should benefit from a higher coefficient.
Conditions of eligibility for setting up young farmers. According to several countries (including Ireland, France, Belgium, Germany and Slovakia), without the current circumstances of the text, these conditions prevent farms being managed in the form of companies, for example, in particular if the young farmer is associated with someone older (for transition, for example).
Criteria for defining active farming. Such criteria are too restrictive, some countries say (Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to name but a few). In the present conditions, this could penalise farmers that have another activity in parallel to farm production (accommodation, catering, horse riding, etc.).
EP is not pleased. After an extraordinary meeting of the EP agriculture committee in Strasbourg on Monday 13 January, devoted to the problem of delegated acts, the chairman, Paolo De Castro (S&D, Italy), said: “We welcome the efforts made so far by the European Commission to accommodate some requests of members of the agriculture committee. However, the meeting on Monday evening showed there is still a gap between what the Commission is proposing and what the Parliament is able to accept”. He went on to add: “To ensure the quality result this agriculture committee has been fighting for for so long, it will be necessary to meet again - to iron out the remaining differences and to clarify some outstanding issues. This next meeting should pave the way for the hopefully final revised text of the delegated acts that the Parliament is expecting at the beginning of March”.
Delegated acts are non-legislative acts of general application to supplement or amend certain non-essential elements of a legislative act. The power to adopt these non-legislative acts is delegated to the European Commission (hence delegated acts). However, an objection from either Parliament or Council would prevent the delegated act from entering into force. (LC/transl.jl)