EU agricultural ministers will hold an initial debate in Luxembourg on Monday 10 October on the latest proposals for simplifying a number of common agricultural policy (CAP) rules.
They will also take stock, within the “other business” section, of simplification of the rules on the greening of aid and the situation on agricultural markets.
Omnibus regulation. This is the only substantial issue that will be discussed by the Council on Monday. The Commission will present its proposal on the omnibus regulation which is part of the mid-term review package of the multi-annual financial framework (MFF) and aims to further simplify the CAP (see EUROPE 11625). Among the elements of the proposal are: - greater discretion for member states in the application of the definition of “active farmer”; - the introduction of a sector specific income stabilisation tool targeted at national and regional levels; - simpler rules for accessing loans and other financial instruments; - EU-financed coaching activities in the context of operational programmes for fruit and vegetables to encourage farmers to set up producer organisations; - simplified procedures for the management of import tariff quotas; - simplified procedures for setting the adjustment rate within the financial discipline.
Market situation and support measures. The Presidency will invite the Commission to provide an update on the latest developments on main agricultural markets and to provide the Council with information on the implementation of the measures proposed in the July aid package, worth €500 million.
At the request of the Polish delegation, the Commission will be invited to present the forecast situation in the sugar sector and the available instruments for the market stabilisation in the EU after the abolition of the sugar production quotas in 2017. Poland will brief the Council on the difficult situation of its pigmeat sector as a result of new outbreaks of African swine fever in pig farms.
Greening. Poland will present a statement backed by 17 delegations (including the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, France, Hungary, Luxembourg, Portugal and Romania), but not Germany on the shared concerns regarding a draft delegated act proposed by the Commission on the greening of direct aid. These countries are against: - introduction of a ban on using plant protection products on productive areas (land lying fallow, catch crops and nitrogen-fixing crops); - extension of the minimum fallow period from 6 to 9 months; - introduction of obligatory 10-week period for catch crops.
The Austrian delegation will brief the Council on its request to make animal welfare standards a compulsory investment criterion for international financial institutions (IFIs) and to incorporate binding EU animal welfare standards in the IFIs’ policies for investment capital grants. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)