The outcome of next week’s vote in the plenary session of the European Parliament on the reports on the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) remains uncertain due to disagreements within the Parliament on the ‘eco-schemes’ and the new ‘delivery model’ (see EUROPE 12580/15, 12579/8).
Anne Sander MEP (EPP, France) told EUROPE, on Wednesday 14 October, that she hoped the compromise amendments by the EPP, S&D and Renew Europe on ‘strategic plans’ (report by German EPP member Peter Jahr), which provide for a minimum 30% share of direct aid to be spent on eco-schemes, will be endorsed in the vote starting on Wednesday 21 October.
She admits that “the balance is fragile”. The risk is that some MEPs may not vote for these compromise amendments on the grounds that the agreed eco-regime scheme would be too ambitious or not ambitious enough. For example, MEPs in the Renew Europe group are calling for 40% of direct aid to be earmarked for eco-schemes, some in the S&D group want 50% and the figures are as high as 60% for the GUE/NGL group. The amendments tabled by the European Parliament Committee on Environment will also have to be voted on, in the hope that this will be “constructive and pragmatic”, commented Ms Sander.
The important thing, according to Ms Sander, is to have a “common and compulsory system”. “If we do not have a sufficiently precise list of measures under this eco-scheme, each Member State will do what it wants”. Moreover, “if the measures are too restrictive, funding may be lost”, she warns.
These compromise amendments also provide for 35% of the funds in the rural development programmes (second pillar of the CAP) to be earmarked for environmental and climate objectives. On GAEC 9, the compromise is based on a 5% non-productive surface area.
On the horizontal regulation, rapporteur Ulrike Müller (Renew Europe, Germany) supports the Commission’s proposal on the new ‘delivery model’ (moving from a compliance system to a performance system). But “there is no agreement” in the European Parliament on this point, insists Ms Sander.
In fact, amendments tabled by the EPP, S&D and ECR groups seek to reintroduce the conformity rule (as is the case today). This performance system “does not bring any simplification”, says Ms Sander.
In addition, Ms Müller’s report provides for a reserve for agricultural crises totalling €1.5 billion.
Regarding the text on the common organisation of the markets (CMO), for which Éric Andrieu (S&D, France) is rapporteur, the only contentious issue is the designation of meat.
Amendments are aimed at giving more responsibility to the Commission for crisis management and more responsibility to farmers for ordering the placing on the market. Mr Andrieu advocates nutritional labelling for wine and an extension until 2050 of the system of authorisations for the planting of vines. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)