The Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU confirmed in Brussels on Thursday 26 January that it will organise a debate among European agriculture ministers on the common agricultural policy (CAP) after 2020 (see EUROPE 11708).
When setting out the priorities for these next six months for the members of the European Parliament’s agriculture committee, Roderick Galdes, Maltese Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights, avoided a number of controversial issues, such as the United Kingdom’s leaving the EU and measures to address price volatility.
Post-2020 CAP. On the issue of the future of the CAP, Galdes merely stated that the Council would debate the matter in March and that the main goal was to simplify the rules and make the CAP more efficient. Albert Dess (EPP, Germany) argued that rural areas had to survive throughout Europe. Éric Andrieu (S&D, France) advocated finding a framework and a methodology for evaluating the current CAP as a way of coming to a “new CAP”. Ulrike Müller (ALDE, Germany) called on the Commission to prepare French and German language versions of the public consultation on the future of the CAP to be launched on 2 February. Many farmers will not be able to take part otherwise, she warned. Maria Lidia Senra Rodriguez (GUE/NGL, Spain) stressed the importance of ensuring that the new CAP mitigates the effects of climate change.
The Maltese Presidency places great importance on water management in agriculture and on ideas that will allow agriculture to adapt to climate change. This will be the central theme of the informal meeting of agriculture ministers in Malta on 22 and 23 May.
Omnibus. The Maltese Presidency will bring forward a compromise text on the agricultural aspects of the omnibus regulation for farm ministers in April.
International agreements. Galdes confirmed that he would continue to keep a very close eye on talks on free-trade agreements between the EU and Mercosur and between the EU and Japan. “There are important offensive interests for the EU and significant potential in terms of jobs. But we have to achieve balanced results”, he underlined.
Marc Tarabella (S&D, Belgium) called on the EU to prepare to denounce agreements with the United Kingdom (import of Australian and New Zealand mutton and lamb), because of Brexit. He suggested, too, that the EU denounce the Blair House agreement (memorandum of understanding on oilseeds) and consider forging agreements with other partners, such as Russia and Ukraine. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)