At the presentation of the six-month priorities of the Croatian Presidency of the EU Council on Wednesday 22 January in Brussels, MEPs on the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee discussed how to integrate the 'European Green Deal' into the post-2020 changes to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Many MEPs also stressed that the CAP budget for the period 2021-2027 needs to be sufficient, given the climate and environmental challenges.
In reply to questions, notably from Peter Jahr (EPP, Germany), Paolo De Castro (S&D, Italy), Ulrike Müller (Renew Europe, Germany), Zbigniew Kuźmiuk (ECR, Poland) and Martin Häusling (Greens/EFA, Germany), on how to integrate the requirements of the 'European Green Deal' into the proposals on the post-2020 CAP, Croatian Agriculture Minister Marija Vučković said the EU Council would focus on the 'Farm to Fork' strategy (expected in spring 2020), in particular on reducing pesticide use and food quality.
Regarding the regulation on transition measures for the CAP (see EUROPE 12407/16), several MEPs questioned the appropriate length of the transition measures (one or two years).
Ms Vučković pointed out that it would be possible to first provide for one year (2021) and then, if necessary, to provide "a mechanism" to extend these transition measures for another year. However, she wants to focus mainly on the measures planned for the CAP and hopes that an agreement between the EU institutions on this text will be reached by the end of June. The aim is to avoid a disruption in payments to EU farmers, she said. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)