Brussels, 27/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - Simplification of the rules on the greening of aid, which accounted for 30% of direct payments paid out if they respected environmental requirements, is a priority for the European Commission. Commissioner Phil Hogan confirmed this priority on Tuesday 24 May during a debate with MEPs from the European Parliament's agriculture committee.
The Commissioner indicated "between 15 and 20 adjustments of greening requirements to reduce red tape for farmers and the authorities" would be presented at the end of June. These measures are expected to be unveiled to European Agriculture Ministers during their meeting on 27 June in Luxembourg. The Commission will also present them with a report on the implementation of greening aid, a year after its entry into application (January 2015). This report will focus on the implementation of greening by farmers, the fair balance between implementation by member states and its potential impact on production. This will be accompanied by the results from the public consultation launched on greening. The Commission received 3300 responses, 82% of which came from farmers (42% from Germany, 12% from France, 10% from Austria, 7% from Poland and 6% from Belgium).
The Commission would like to identify and adjust certain technical factors in the regulation. Mr Hogan indicated, however, that the withdrawal of some of the most cumbersome technical demands is obviously laudable but also explained that they had to provide assurances that the Commission would not reduce the financial benefits provided by the greening measures. Some EU countries would like to go further than these adjustments by reopening the basic acts contained in the Common Agricultural Policy. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)