On Monday 15 May, the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA) invited the European Commission itself to set the reduction rate (-1.4%) for 2017 direct payments from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) (see EUROPE 11761).
This reduction is necessary in order to build up a reserve of €459.5 million (in current value terms) for agricultural crises in the 2018 budget year of the CAP, which begins on 16 October 2017.
As required under financial discipline legislation, the Commission proposed, at the end of March, a reduction in direct support of 1.4%. MEPs decided not to exercise their role a joint legislators. The Council of Ministers of the EU agreed to do the same.
In the proposal on the omnibus regulation that is currently under discussion in the Council of the EU and in the European Parliament, the Commission suggests simplifying the procedure by setting the adjustment rate for direct payments itself, by means of an implementing regulation. The crisis reserve has never been used since it was set up in 2014 and each year, therefore, the money has been paid out to farmers. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)