Croatia, which is taking over the rotating Presidency of the EU Council for the first time from January to the end of June 2020, will try to bring the Member States to a political agreement on the elements of the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Other dossiers that will be considered over the next six months are the CAP transition rules (see EUROPE 12393/12), the ‘European Green Deal’ and the future ‘Farm to Fork' strategy.
“The priority of the Croatian Presidency will be to continue to work and reach an agreement on legislative proposals for the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) after 2020”, according to the Croatian Presidency’s work programme published on 27 December. The aim is to define the rules of the new CAP, which will be “aligned with the new common priorities of the European Union, including the environmental and climate objectives”, Croatia added. It considers that the rules will also need to be adjusted to take account of “the needs of Member States”.
Finland, which held the Council Presidency in the second half of 2019, had hoped to bring the EU Council to a ‘general approach’ on this dossier. However, in the absence of a budgetary agreement between the Heads of State or Government, the Commission had to content itself with presenting a ‘progress report’ on these talks in December (see EUROPE 12391/3).
Croatia assures that it will pay special attention in the considerations to “the needs of vulnerable rural communities and the further modernisation of agriculture and of rural areas in order to increase the competitiveness of farmers and businesses”.
The Croatian Presidency will also have to finalise the adoption of the transitional rules for the CAP in order to avoid possible interruptions of payments to farmers.
Croatia will continue the debate on the adoption of the new European forestry strategy for the post-2020 period. It will continue to monitor the situation in the agricultural markets as well as trade agreement negotiations.
As 2020 has been declared the ‘International Year of Plant Health’ by the United Nations, Croatia has committed itself to “achieving an equal level of phytosanitary protection throughout the EU, and a level playing field for European manufacturers and traders”.
The first meeting of the ‘Agriculture’ Council chaired by Croatian Minister Marija Vučković is scheduled for 27 January in Brussels. The other ministerial meetings are scheduled for 17-18 February, 23-24 March, 27-28 April (Luxembourg), 25-26 May and 29-30 June (Luxembourg). The Informal Meeting of Agriculture ministers will take place in Split from 7 to 9 June on the topic of rural areas and family farms.
To consult the priorities of the Croatian Presidency of the EU Council: http://bit.ly/2toY1xK (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)