On Monday 16 December, EU agriculture ministers will once again discuss the proposals for the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
The Finnish Presidency of the EU Council will present a progress report on the work carried out on the European Commission's proposals on CAP reform (see EUROPE 12387/9).
During the Finnish Presidency work focused in particular on the new delivery model, environmental and climate related aspects, and other elements such as: definitions (genuine farmer, permanent grassland, eligible hectare) or also types of intervention in the form of direct payments.
EU agriculture ministers are waiting for the end of negotiations on the EU's Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2021-2027 before taking a position on the post-2020 CAP, whose budgetary elements are predominant. Twenty EU countries are calling for the current CAP funds to be maintained over the period 2021-2027.
Other topics. The Finnish Presidency will inform the EU Council on the content of the conclusions on the updated EU bioeconomy strategy, a text adopted on 29 November by the ‘Competitiveness’ Council of the EU.
The Finnish Presidency will draw the EU Council's attention to the issue of the long-term funding of the EU Minor Uses Coordination Facility (EUMUCF) of pesticides. The EUMUCF was set up in 2015 jointly by the European Commission, France, the Netherlands and Germany with the aim of addressing the problem of minor use of pesticide. This concerns niche crops with high economic value for farmers or exceptional limited uses in a major crop, but usually of low economic interest for the agro-pesticide industry. Since 15 April 2018, the EUMUCF has been fully dependent on voluntary financial contributions from EU Member States. At the Minor Uses General Assembly, held in 2019, it was decided to explore the possibility to discuss the issue of the long-term funding of the EUMUCF at EU Council level. Finally, France will raise the issue of labelling the origin of products. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)