MEPs were relieved, during a plenary debate on Tuesday 15 December on the 2021 and 2022 transitional measures for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), that uncertainty for farmers was finally resolved.
The European Parliament was due to vote on Tuesday evening in favour of the agreement between the EU institutions on a set of rules to ensure a smooth transition from the current CAP to the next one, which should enter into force in early 2023 (see EUROPE 12612/17).
The regulation will include key elements that have been put forward by the European Parliament, recalled Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski, such as the continued phasing out of payments for areas with natural constraints that are no longer eligible, the possibility for Member States to support risk management measures more easily, increased funding for technical assistance for certain small Member States to prepare for the new CAP, and the continuation of transitional national aid and Finnish national aid.
“We have a clear timetable for transitional measures and we need to take account of the climate and improve crisis management measures”, said rapporteur Elsi Katainen (Renew Europe, Finland).
Farmers will be better able to plan their choices in 2021 and 2022, said Paolo De Castro (S&D, Italy). They will also have the cash to deal with the consequences of Covid-19, he added. The text makes €8 billion available for rural development in 2021 and 2022.
Jerémy Decerle (Renew Europe, France) welcomed the inclusion in this regulation of the agricultural aspect of the Recovery Plan, “by directing support towards the most relevant measures: support for young farmers, investments, without weakening the environmental ambition of the CAP”.
Several MEPs welcomed the maintenance of the envelope for the POSEI programme (outermost regions).
Link to the text of the agreement: https://bit.ly/2LFvugv (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)