On 31 October, the European Commission adopted proposals on transitional measures providing for the entry into force on 1 January 2022 of strategic plans for the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), one year later than previously expected (see EUROPE 12334/3).
“The legislative procedure was not concluded in time to allow Member States and the Commission to prepare all the necessary elements for the application of the new legal framework and strategic plans of the CAP on 1 January 2021, as initially proposed by the Commission”, explains the Commission in the proposal on transitional measures that extend the current CAP rules by one year to avoid an interruption in direct payments to farmers.
Therefore, in order to be able to provide support to farmers and other beneficiaries of the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) in 2021, the Union should “continue to provide this support for an additional year, under the conditions of the existing legal framework, which covers the period 2014-2020”, the proposal states. The existing legal framework is defined by seven regulations (1303/2013, 1305/2013, 1306/2013, 1307/2013, 1308/2013, 228/2013, 229/2013).
In addition, in order to facilitate the transition from existing support schemes to the new legal framework beginning on 1 January 2022, the proposal lays down rules governing how certain aid granted on a multi-annual basis will be incorporated into the new legal framework.
Given that the Union should continue to support rural development in 2021, Member States demonstrating the risk of a lack of funds should have the possibility to extend their rural development programmes supported by the EAFRD until 31 December 2021 and to finance these programmes from the corresponding budget allocation for the year 2021.
The extended programmes should aim to maintain at least the same level of environmental and climate goals, the Commission also explains.
European agriculture ministers are refusing to give their opinion on CAP reform until they know the budget allocation for the 2021-2027 period. The European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture will have the opportunity to debate this proposal on transitional measures on Tuesday 5 November.
Link to the Commission’s proposal on transitional measures: http://bit.ly/2pEk1mD (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)