The Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA) adopted, on Monday 20 January, one of the two (most technical) texts on transitional provisions for the rules of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This is the regulation on financial discipline from 2021 and inter-pillar flexibility for 2020.
Only the United Kingdom will abstain when the text is formally adopted at a forthcoming meeting of the EU Council. On 18 December 2019, the European Parliament adopted its position at first reading on the proposal (see EUROPE 12393/12). The result of the European Parliament's vote reflects the agreement reached between the institutions to take up the Commission's proposal.
The more political proposal. In addition, the SCA prepared the debate to be held at the Agriculture Council of the EU on 27 January on the other, more political, proposal on transitional measures for the CAP. The proposal aims to ensure the continuity of CAP support to farmers and other beneficiaries in 2021, as the current state of negotiations on CAP reform and the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027 makes it clear that the new 'strategic plans' for the CAP cannot apply from 1 January 2021. The proposal extends the applicability of the existing legal framework to the year 2021 and contains adaptations of certain rules to ensure a smooth transition from the current to the next CAP period.
Discussions so far have shown that certain elements of the text will have to be discussed between Member States, in particular on the duration of the transitional period, conditions for extending Rural Development Programmes, duration of agro-environmental commitments and continuation of operational programmes of producer organisations in the fruit and vegetables sector (see EUROPE 12371/1). In addition, some delegations indicated that the proposal did not provide for transitional national aid although they would like to see it maintained in 2021 at least at the level of 2020. Since, unlike the CAP reform, the content of the proposal can be discussed independently of the figures, the Croatian Council Presidency will place all figures in square brackets and update them as soon as an agreement is reached on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), it explains in a note: https://bit.ly/2RC9qlZ (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)