Parliament's Agriculture Committee will debate on Wednesday 15 April the compromise amendments (https://bit.ly/2y4FgC8 ) tabled with the other Parliamentary political groups by the rapporteur on transitional measures for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Elsi Kataïnen (Renew Europe, Finland).
The Agriculture Committee vote is scheduled for 28 April and the May plenary will then consider the issue.
These compromise amendments cover part of the 400 amendments tabled in February by MEPs (see EUROPE 12454/23, 12446/10).
It is recalled the Parliament's position on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027, in favour of maintaining agricultural expenditure (EU-27) at the level of the 2014-2020 budget in real terms, while budgeting the reserve for agricultural crises.
The legislative procedure was not completed in time to allow Member States and the Commission to prepare all the elements necessary for the application of the new legal framework and the CAP 'strategic plans' from 1 January 2021, as initially proposed by the Commission. Therefore, a transitional period of at least 1 year is required to ensure the continuation of payments.
The compromise amendments aim, according to MEPs, to give EU countries sufficient time to prepare future strategic plans for the post-2020 CAP.
2 year transition period. While the Council is currently sticking to a one-year period, the compromise amendment stipulates that, if the EU's multi-annual financial framework (MFF) for 2021-2027 and the regulation on the new strategic plans for the CAP (post-2020) have not been published in the Official Journal of the EU before 30 October 2020, this transitional period will have to be extended for a further year, until 31 December 2022.
Another amendment (eligibility of expenditure) allows the use of funds from the next financial period to finance outstanding commitments where funds have run out.
Some amendments modify the Commission's original proposal, which limits the duration of programmes on organic farming, animal welfare and environmental requirements to three years. The compromise foresees that, for these three types of programmes, Member States may determine a "longer period" (up to 5 years) for new commitments. In that case, Member States will have to take into account the future strategic plan.
Other amendments allow the duration of operational programmes in the fruit and vegetables sector and in the wine sector (planting rights) to be extended during the transitional period.
Finally, amendments are aimed at extending, for the duration of the transitional period, the possibility of paying national aid (which expires at the end of 2020) in favour of certain sectors.
To consult the mandate of the Council: https://bit.ly/2JQEECL (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)