Representatives of the Council of the EU, the European Parliament and the European Commission held an initial round of inter-institutional negotiations on the strategic plans for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on Thursday 19 November. The negotiations did not provide any conclusive results.
The presence at this trilogue of Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the European Green Deal, was highlighted by the participants. He had created a stir, including within the Commission, after threatening to withdraw the CAP proposal if the negotiations threatened to weaken the policy’s environmental objectives (see EUROPE 12603/11 and 12602/7).
At this initial meeting on strategic plans (the second CAP trilogue), the negotiators did not raise the sensitive issue of the minimum percentage of direct support for allocation to eco-schemes (see EUROPE 12589/15).
The European Parliament believes that a 30% share of the direct payments budget will have to be dedicated to eco-schemes.
The Council of the EU is anticipating 20%, a two-year ‘trial phase’ - in 2023 and 2024 - and some flexibility. Subject to conditions, up to 50% of the funds earmarked for eco-schemes may be transferred to environmental measures under the second pillar.
Peter Jahr (EPP, Germany), the European Parliament rapporteur on strategic plans, said that the representatives of the institutions discussed the various conditionality criteria for direct payments.
A four-column technical paper was circulated to assist in drafting compromises, particularly on the principle and scope of conditionality (https://bit.ly/36NGSxL ). A number of points require political trade-offs, however, especially in relation to the annex setting out good agri-environmental conditions (https://bit.ly/36NGSxL ).
The next trilogues on CAP strategic plans will take place on 1 and 10 December.
Initial trilogues will be held to discuss common market organisation (the second CAP issue), on 2 December, and financing, management and control (third CAP issue), on 4 December. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)