In the “other business” section at the Agriculture Council in Luxembourg on Monday 3 April, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden submitted a joint document on simplifying post-2020 common agricultural policy (CAP) rules.
The six countries argue that further simplification measures, in addition to those planned in the so-called omnibus regulation (see other article), are possible. They call for the basic acts of the CAP to be simplified after 2020 and for amendment of secondary legislation “whenever appropriate”. The objective should be a simplified, stable and effective common agricultural policy, the document says. The six argue for a more balanced approach in shared management; - more risk-based monitoring; and a reduction in the number of layers of rules in the CAP.
Speaking to the press, European Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan welcomed this initiative as a “further positive contribution to on-going consultations on the CAP after 2020”. The document highlights a number of the challenges to be addressed by the post-2020 CAP, he said, citing the need to reduce complexity, to avoid “micromanagement from Brussels” and to make use of new technologies assist monitoring and audits.
During the Council meeting, Romania supported simplification of the rules for national agencies responsible for paying out aid (discussions to be held on task-sharing and respect for proportionality). Slovenia and Greece said that subsidiarity and proportionality were the principles that should be adhered to as a matter of priority. The Netherlands argued that the rules also had to be simplified for national payment agencies (with regard to checks and audits). Spain suggested that monitoring could be improved through secondary legislation, without having to wait for a new reform of the CAP. Germany advocated the introduction of a single audit system. Ireland backed the six countries. The United Kingdom said that cross-compliance penalties were too rigid. Italy and Cyprus backed further simplification measures. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)