On Wednesday 20 May the European Parliament Committee on Agriculture backed the use of the urgency procedure to approve the proposal to provide emergency aid from the rural development programmes (second pillar) of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to help farmers overcome the negative effects of the coronavirus pandemic (see EUROPE 12486/10).
But many members would have liked a more ambitious measure.
The Commission proposed at the end of April, among other support measures for farmers, a flat-rate payment to be made by 31 December 2020 at the latest and limited to a maximum of 1% of the total EAFRD contribution to the rural development programme. Some members have advocated raising this limit to 2%. MEPs regretted the lack of new funds to help farmers.
"This proposal is not overly popular", said Herbert Dorfmann (EPP, Italy). Countries that have not spent it all have flexibility, unlike those who have done their job and spent the money, "so this approach is surprising", Dorfmann said.
He agreed to launch the urgency procedure to approve the text, as did Paolo De Castro (S&D, Italy), who however called for the ceiling to be raised to "at least 2%".
Ulrike Müller (Renew Europe, Germany) estimated the funds available at €650 million, even though it is not new funds, she complained. She also advocated a ceiling of at least 2%.
The Greens/EFA group suggested tabling amendments to improve the text and using the agricultural crisis reserve to help the sector. "Why penalise good students?" asked Benoît Biteau (Greens/EFA, France).
"Very few EU countries wish to mobilise the crisis reserve", the Commission representative acknowledged.
The maximum amount of support, according to the proposal, shall not exceed €5,000 per farmer and €50,000 per SME.
The Commission insisted that this is an "exceptional and temporary" measure. Simple measures are needed to provide liquidity as quickly as possible, the Commission representative insisted. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)