The European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture approved, on Tuesday 13 October, the approach of rapporteur Paolo De Castro (S&D, Italy) to include in the regulation on transitional measures for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) an article on the payment in 2021 and 2022 of €8 billion in aid to farmers under the EU's Recovery Plan (see EUROPE 12568/10, 12557/28).
The proposed breakdown of this sum is €2.387 billion (current prices) in 2021 and €5.683 billion in 2022.
The Committee on Agriculture also wants to secure at least 37% of the available recovery funding for environmental and climate-related actions. At least 55% of the recovery fund should support young farmers’ business start-ups and on-farm investments that contribute to a resilient, sustainable and digital economic recovery in line with the ‘European Green Deal’.
MEPs also want to increase the maximum level of support that the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) gives to food production covered by EU quality schemes from €3.000 to €5.000 per holding per year. The ceiling for the business start-up aid from EAFRD for young farmers should go up from €70,000 to €100,000, they add.
The European Parliament and EU Council still have to finalise the compromise on transitional measures for the CAP (see EUROPE 12553/12, 12517/10). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)