The European Commission is expected to open a three-month public consultation on 2 February on the shape the common agricultural policy should take after 2020, when the EU’s current multiannual financial framework (MFF) comes to an end (see EUROPE 11683).
In a speech delivered at “Green Week” in Berlin on Thursday 19 January, European Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan said that the Commission will publish a communication on the future of the CAP before the end of the year. To this end, the Commission will launch a consultation open to the public and stakeholders on the new CAP, a matter related to work on the MFF after 2020 (the Commission will bring forward proposals on this before the end of 2018). “Our aim is to look at ways of how to modernise and simplify the CAP. I am well aware of the complexity of our policy and I am dedicated to making the CAP simpler, for the benefit of European farmers”, Hogan stated in his speech.
The presidents of the farmers’ and agri-cooperatives, organisations, Copa and Cogeca, will meet Hogan on 9 February to discuss the CAP after 2020. At this stage in their deliberations, the organisations believe that sustainability should be a key issue in the debate, its three pillars (economic, environmental and social) each being treated equally and in balanced fashion. Copa and Cogeca naturally argue for a strong, common EU agricultural budget but Brexit will have budgetary implications for the MFF (see other article). There should, at least, be no cut in the CAP budget in real terms, argue the French (FNSEA) and German (DVA) agricultural unions in a joint press release published on 13 January.
More crisis management tools. The professional organisations argue that current measures (direct payments, safety nets and insurance against risk) must be retained in order to address market volatility. More tools need to be made available, however, to manage risk (futures markets must be developed, for example).
On 14 December of last year, the European Parliament also called for new crisis prevention and management tools in the agricultural sector. The Parliament’s calls will also inform the reflection on the post-2020 CAP (see EUROPE 11689). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)