Brussels, 17/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 14 March, COPA-COGECA levelled criticism at the first package of delegated acts relating to the reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP) (see EUROPE 11036).
The secretary general of COPA-COGECA, Pekka Pesonen, said: “the Commission in the delegated acts is going beyond that compromise package agreed last summer. In particular, we have serious concerns about implementation of the ecological focus area under reform”. The “tough” rules on planting nitrogen-fixing crops and “stringent limitations” on cultivation methods applied on ecological focus areas will “force farmers to opt to set aside land from production”, Pesonen explained. He argued that this goes against the conclusions of the European Council, which state that the greening of aid should not lead to the withdrawal of land from production. “The EU is undermining its own food security needs by cutting its food production capacity”, he concludes.
Additionally, at a European high-level conference on the future CAP held in Seville, participants pointed out that the agricultural sector is playing a key role in helping the EU to overcome the economic crisis. Speakers warned that the new CAP is, in their view, more complex and that the administrative burden will increase whilst support will fall. The declaration was adopted to stress the main ways of guaranteeing the viability of the sector for farmers and society going forward. (LC)