EU agricultural organisations and cooperatives (Copa-Cogeca) are putting the finishing touches to their joint position for the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) negotiations.
The two organisations say the goal is to improve current policy rather than carry out major changes (see EUROPE 11760).
The CAP’s orientation towards the market should be maintained and it will be appropriate to maintain the two pillars upon which this policy is based (direct payments and rural development). The two EU agricultural organisations also say that there should not be any transfers between the two pillars. Specific provisions are requested to help regions subject to constraints created by their respective natural environments. Copa-Cogeca is requesting appropriate post-2020 CAP funding that takes into account the budgetary repercussions of the United Kingdom leaving the EU. Copa-Cogeca has repeated that it will oppose any renationalisation of the CAP, although this policy currently accounts for less than 1% of total EU public spending.
Simplification. Simplification of the implementation control system for the first and second pillars are called for. Farm inspections are regarded as being very complicated. The single auditing principle is emphasised, as well as a reduction in the number of controls carried out on the ground. The penalty system needs to be made fairer. Rules on the greening of direct aid should also be simplified, whilst respecting the agreement on the 2013 CAP reform. Legislation on the climate and energy should also take into account the specificities and role of agriculture.
Direct payments are a gauge of stability. The two organisations point out that increased market volatility, sharper exposure to animal and plant diseases and a high-frequency in extreme climate phenomena mean that farms are increasingly confronted by risk and that their scale and impact vary according to the region, member state and sector. Copa-Cogeca explain that direct payments are therefore a gauge of stability and that it would be unacceptable if they were capped or reduced. Aid must benefit active farmers and not landowners who do not exercise this profession. Copa-Cogeca argue that coupled assistance must be reduced to sectoral support, such as animal rearing and regions where are other instruments are not available.
Risk management tools. The agricultural organisations believe that they need to devise more efficient risk management instruments than those that currently exist if they are to complement but in no way replace direct payments and market management measures. The goal is to provide farmers with a broad range of tools to deal with economic, climate, health and other hazards. How these tools are used, however, would depend on the member states. Copa-Cogeca support a review of price references (during intervention measures) to take into account higher production costs.
The EU farming organisations regret that current provisions have not helped to significantly improve the position of farmers in the food supply chain. They therefore believe that obstacles should be removed that prevent agricultural cooperatives, producer organisations and producer organisation associations (if they meet the required criteria) from fully using the opportunities on offer. According to Copa-Cogeca, competition policy should be revised.
The two agricultural organisations also believe that rural development should continue to focus on farmers. This should be done by drawing on the four pillars contained in the September 2016 “Cork 2.0” declaration (employment, growth and investment in the chain, rural environment, climate and water, innovation, etc.). They also believe, however, that this policy should also be able to draw from all EU structural and investment funds.
According to the Copa-Cogeca draft position, the CAP should also be able to count on a certain number of more efficient and targeted measures for generational renewal so that there are more newcomers in the sector and that rural desertification is prevented. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)