On 2 September, the members of the European Parliament Committee on Agriculture confirmed that the European Parliament and the Council of the EU are struggling to finalise negotiations on transitional measures for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Although EU leaders have agreed on the EU's Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2021-2027 and the Economic Recovery Plan, finalisation of negotiations on the CAP transitional measures for 2021 (and 2022) is still held up, pending an agreement between the European Parliament and the Council of the EU on the MFF and the Recovery Plan.
Two points in particular are still not in a position to be finalised: introduction of the precise figures for the CAP budget, and the way in which the funds from the Recovery Plan will be spent.
Negotiators from the European Parliament, the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the EU, and the European Commission reached a partial agreement on transitional measures for the post-2020 CAP on 30 June (EUROPE 12517/10).
Elsi Katainen (Renew Europe, Finland), the European Parliament rapporteur on transitional measures, admitted on 2 September that she was still unclear about the outcome of this issue. In fact, a final text has not yet been agreed between the Council of the EU and the European Parliament.
Without the expected agreement between the European Parliament and the Council of the EU on the MFF and the Recovery Plan (there is provision for €5 billion for the agricultural sector), “we still don’t know how the European Commission will break down the CAP figures”, Katainen said. She feels that the articles in the transitional regulation that are not going to change should be adopted to allow national administrations to begin work.
It is essential that the funds in the Recovery Plan in 2021 are mobilised to ensure that agriculture has access to this money as quickly as possible, without waiting for the new CAP to come into force, as this is not due to happen until 2023. She has requested the assistance of the Legal Services from the European Parliament and the Council of the EU in order to reach a swift solution.
In the meantime, although 18 September has been set as the date for a trilogue meeting (between the Commission, the Council of the EU and Parliament), there is no indication that the meeting will enable this issue to be finalised.
Although it has not yet set out its position on this issue, the European Commission has promised to show flexibility. Having dragged its feet for a long time, it has at least resolved to accept a transitional period of two years, as agreed by the Parliament and Council of the EU negotiators. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)