Using the opinion to be delivered on the omnibus regulation, which seeks to simplify certain agricultural measures, to introduce amendments reforming the common agricultural policy: that is the tactic of European Parliament agriculture committee rapporteur Paolo De Castro (S&D, Italy), who, in Strasbourg on 13 March, is to present an opinion for Parliament’s budgets committee.
Parliament is preparing a draft report on simplifying certain rules proposed by the European Commission in September of last year (the so-called omnibus regulation) as part of the mid-term review of the EU’s multiannual financial framework (MFF) for 2014-2020 (see EUROPE 11642).
In a move that is not at all to the liking of Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan, the agriculture committee of the Parliament is trying to re-open Pandora’s box. In a letter sent to committee chair Czeslaw Adam Siekierski (EPP, Poland) on 23 February, a copy of which has been seen by EUROPE, the commissioner warns that the rapporteur’s course of action “would not be compatible with either the objective of (the Commission’s) proposal, or with the ambitious timetable” set out, since the omnibus regulation is due to come into effect on 1 January 2018. “Moreover, such amendment proposals could lead to further complexities in the practical application of certain CAP support schemes”, he adds.
De Castro has suggested 94 amendments, only six of which relate to the omnibus proposal. Most seek to amend certain parts of the basic regulations of the CAP (common organisation of the market, rural development, direct payments, cross-cutting provisions).
Hogan sent the same letter to the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU to underline the risk that would be posed by the adoption of positions that go beyond the framework of the Commission’s proposal. Member state experts meeting in the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA) on 27 February continued their discussions on the Commission text. They considered an initial compromise text from the Presidency. Progress was made in certain areas but there remains technical work to be done before agreement can be reached among EU member states. Positions are coming closer on what constitutes an active farmer, on the income stabilisation tool (though reservations were expressed by some countries) and on easing some greening rules.
New insurance system. Among the amendments put down, the rapporteur suggests replacing the income stabilisation tool for a specific sector, as proposed by the Commission, with a new income insurance scheme (rural development basic regulation). The proposal that would make the definition of active farmer optional from 2018 would be deleted (direct payments regulation). The rapporteur also wants to see the removal of plan to amend the current system for monies improperly paid and not recovered that would be fully the responsibility of the member state concerned (cross-cutting regulation).
Food chain, competition and reduced production in the event of crisis. The changes advocated by the rapporteur to the basic regulation of the common organisation of the market that are unrelated to the initial text include: - extension to all sectors of provisions on producer organisations; - the creation of negotiation organisations and authorisation of “value-sharing clauses” to strengthen farmers’ position on the food chain; - relaxing competition rules for the agricultural sector; - putting in place a system for reducing production in the event of serious imbalance on agricultural markets.
Among the proposed changes to the rural development basic regulation are the lowering of thresholds (from 30% to 20% production loss) triggering mutual funds and other income stabilisation tools and raising the caps for these instruments (from 65% to 70%). The greening of aid is also the subject of numerous amendments, unrelated to the Commission proposal. The Commission has already set out its ideas for simplifying this important part of the CAP. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)