Under attack even before it is published. The main proposal in the communication on the future of the common agricultural policy (CAP) due to be adopted by the European Commission on Wednesday 29 November (see EUROPE 11908) will completely overhaul the greening of direct aid and will also offer member states much more in the way of flexibility.
The European Commission has said time and again that it will be more evolution than revolution of the CAP. Nevertheless, for the think tank Farm Europe, this new mechanism for implementing direct aid goes too far. It could lead to repatriation of the CAP and, contrary to the stated objective, make the rules more complex since, instead of one set of regulations, there will be at least 27 (one per member states and perhaps more because the regions could also adopt their own rules). A mechanism of this sort would certainly would bring simplification for the European Commission but not for member states and probably not for farmers either. Furthermore, it is posited at Farm Europe that it is by no means certain that the level of ambition on the environment will be higher – quite the opposite – and, indeed, competition among the member states will become tougher.
For the remainder, those aspects that relate, whether closely or loosely, to the budget (co-financing, capping of aid, convergence of levels of support, etc.), have at this stage been left to one side. The Commission does not wish to address these issues until the proposals on the new multiannual financial framework have been published.
The proposal will be presented on 29 November by Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan and European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Kaitainen. Hogan will go on later that same day to present it to the European Parliament agriculture committee and then, the next day, to the agricultural organisations, Copa and Cogeca. Finally, on 11 December, the text will be presented by Katainen to EU agriculture ministers meeting in Brussels as Hogan will be in Buenos Aires attending the WTO ministerial conference. (Original version in French)