After a first discussion on Monday 5 March, the agriculture experts of EU member states are to finalise, in the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA) on Monday 12 March, their common guidelines on the future of the CAP post-2020. The Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU has prepared draft conclusions on the basis of discussions held by the Council since January (see EUROPE 11974). Delegations had until 6 March to submit their observations in writing so that a new, amended text might be presented to them on Monday 12 March. A finalised version of the text should be adopted on Monday 19 March during a meeting of EU28 farm ministers.
During the SCA debate on 5 March, France, the Czech Republic, Romania, Sweden and Finland called on the presidency to strengthen the passage on simplification in the interest of farmers and national administrations.
Ireland, backed by France, Slovenia, Austria and Greece, has suggested that the text be more explicit concerning incentives so that farmers go beyond the base frame for greening.
Regarding the crisis reserve introduced in 2013 to address major market upheavals, which has never been activated, France, Romania, Greece and Estonia requested the addition of a reference to multiannual management, which, they say, is a way to make this instrument more effective (it currently receives around €400,000 each year with reimbursement at the end of the financial period if the budget has not been used).
Differences over budget-related measures
France, Slovenia, Italy and Cyprus also underlined the need to provide for a sufficiently long transition period to allow member states to adjust to post-2020 CAP rules, and to draw up corresponding programming documents.
Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands were the most critical towards the draft conclusions, saying that they go too far on measures that depend on the future financing framework. These delegations called for more emphasis to be placed on a more market-oriented CAP and opposed any formula that would prejudge the outcome of coming talks on the budget. On the other hand, Portugal, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia stressed at length the question of convergence, calling on the presidency to include a reference on a more equitable breakdown of direct payments within member states and between member states.
The French, Portuguese, Slovene, Finnish, Slovak and Lithuanian delegations also advocated stronger wording on coupled support. Their request was opposed to by the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden.
Farm Europe recommendations
On Tuesday 6 March, the Farm Europe think tank presented to the European Parliament in Brussels the results and recommendations of its Global Food Forum 2017 organised on 20 and 21 October last in Sustana (Italy). The five “key actions” recommended for the future CAP were: “a six-year action plan for economic and environmental performance” (agriculture and digital precision tools); “the strengthening of farm resilience” (risk management tool box); “the guaranteeing of territorial balance” (sectoral strategies and investment); “cooperation within the food chain” (competition policy); and, overall, a “fair, simple and direct relationship between the CAP and farmers with a clear associated European legal framework”. (Original version in French)