On Tuesday 5 November, members of the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee in Brussels were critical of the transitional measures proposed by the European Commission on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
On 31 October, the Commission adopted proposals on transitional measures providing for the entry into force, from 1 January 2022, of strategic plans for the post-2020 CAP (see EUROPE 12362/11).
Herbert Dorfmann (EPP, Italy) criticised the extent of the reduction in appropriations for the second pillar (rural development) provided for in the proposal, which is based on the elements of the proposals for the EU's next multiannual financial framework (MFF). He wondered how countries could obtain new funds if those relating to ongoing rural development programmes have run out. Clara Eugenia Aguilera García (S&D, Spain) said new funds (rural development) should be provided to countries that have exhausted budget allocations.
Paolo De Castro (S&D, Italy) said that the European Parliament had been waiting 6 months for these transitional measures and estimated that it would take the European Parliament a year to examine and approve this text. "We have to see how the debate on the post-2020 CAP is going", he also stressed.
Martin Hlaváček (Renew Europe, Czech Republic) is "not satisfied" with the distribution of the proposed financial allocations, as "this prejudges an agreement on the MFF" 2021-2027. Álvaro Amaro (EPP, Portugal) also criticised the fact that the European Parliament has to adopt amounts from the reformed CAP, while the reform has not yet been decided.
When there is an agreement on the MFF, the Commission's proposal will have to be adapted accordingly, reassured the representative of the Commission.
Several MEPs would have preferred a period of longer than a year for transitional measures, as Member States will need time to prepare their strategic plans on the CAP, said Irene Tolleret (Renew Europe, France). She opposed a 5% reduction in direct aids. Anne Sander (EPP, France) advocated a two-year transitional period, as she could not imagine a full agreement on the CAP at the end of 2020.
EU agricultural organisations and cooperatives (Copa-Cogeca) said on Tuesday, in response to the Commission's proposal, that the transitional measures "should not be used as an excuse to subject the CAP to further budget cuts". Transitional measures are expected to lead to an 11% decrease in direct payments to farmers in October 2020 and even more severe reductions in the second pillar of the CAP (rural development), according to analysis by Copa-Cogeca. Pekka Pesonen, Copa-Cogeca's Secretary General, once again defended a CAP budget for the post-2020 period that is "at least maintained in real terms. Which also implies that, during the transition period, there can be no reduction in funding". (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)