The member state experts on the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA), meeting in Tallinn on 4 September on the sidelines of the informal gathering of agriculture ministers, reached agreement on a revised negotiating mandate, presented by the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU, on the agricultural strand of the so-called omnibus regulation (see EUROPE 11793).
The broad thrust of this Council compromise text was presented to the European Parliament delegation at a trialogue meeting (Commission, Council and Parliament) on the agriculture section of the omnibus regulation on Thursday 7 September. The SCA is expected formally to approve the revised Council negotiating mandate at its next meeting on 18 September.
The European Parliament wants to make use of the negotiations on the omnibus regulation to introduce mini reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The much more cautious Council has not accepted the MEPs’ ambitious amendments arguing that this is neither the time nor the place to begin a debate on CAP reform. The Council and the Commission are hoping, too, that the omnibus regulation can be adopted swiftly so that it can come into force at the start of 2018.
Stabilising incomes and food chain. Some delegations, including those of Germany, the United Kingdom and Denmark, argued strongly at the SCA meeting on 4 September that the technical issues must be completed before the regulation comes into force on 1 January 2018. A number of countries are of the view that the European Parliament’s demands go beyond a mere simplification exercise, particularly so with regard to Parliament amendments seeking to reduce the “loss of income” threshold triggering all the risk management tools from 30% to 20%. The Commission proposed a lowering from 30% to 20% only with the income stabilisation instrument. The Council is unable, for principally budgetary reasons, to agree to this change in threshold level.
Other sensitive issues: mandatory recognition of producer organisations (not wanted by the Council at this point) and the position of farmers in the food supply chain. The Danish, Dutch, Swedish and German delegations in particular felt that the omnibus regulation was not the right vehicle for revision of the rules governing the supply chain and that it was better to await the Commission proposals (in spring 2018). Slovakia and Lithuania once again called for legislative proposals on tackling unfair trading practices. The SCA accepted the suggestions of the Estonian Presidency on voluntary coupled aid and some Parliament amendments simplifying greening rules.
Two further negotiating sessions between the institutions are scheduled on 27 September and 12 October on the agricultural aspects of the omnibus regulation. Then a horizontal trilogue on the omnibus settlement will be held on October 25th. The agreement will then have to be validated by the two committees responsible for the budget (budget and budgetary control). Finally, the text will have to be voted on in plenary session in Strasbourg. The draft 'omnibus' regulation will amend the Financial Regulation and 15 sectoral legislative acts. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)