The Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU presented two compromise packages to European Parliament negotiators on 11 March on certain aspects of the regulation on strategic plans for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), MEPs confirmed on Monday 15 March (see EUROPE 12677/8).
Daniel Buda (EPP, Romania) told the European Parliament Agriculture Committee meeting on Monday that the EU Council Presidency’s first compromise package, presented at the trilogue on 11 March, included: - a mandatory definition of active farmer (a step forward for the European Parliament); - a definition of the new farmer; - ‘internal convergence’ (gradual reduction of differences in the value of payment entitlements to fully align them by a certain date) of aid to 85% in 2026 (compared to 75% in the EU Council’s initial position and 100% as requested by the European Parliament); - 3% of direct payments to be used to support young farmers (Parliament is championing 4%).
In exchange for these concessions to the European Parliament, the EU Member States are asking that capping, degressivity and the redistributive payment be optional.
The Portuguese Presidency’s package also provides for an optional system for small farmers (Article 25), without retaining the €1,250 threshold provided for in the MEPs’ position.
MEPs welcomed some progress, but two major issues remain problematic: the optional nature of the capping on aid and the redistributive payment. “We lack the leverage to address the issue of targeting aid”, said a European source.
The European Parliament is calling for a compulsory capping, but with the possibility of opting out in case of a high redistributive payment.
On internal convergence, the European Parliament is more ambitious.
The Portuguese Presidency’s second compromise package concerns the new implementation model, including a list of result indicators used for performance review.
The rapporteur on strategic plans, Peter Jahr (EPP, Germany), also mentioned an agreement on a biennial performance review. He noted that the European Parliament wanted 100% internal convergence.
The ‘super trilogue’ will take place on 26 March, after the Agriculture Council on 22 and 23 March.
The Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA), which brings together experts from EU countries, held a discussion on Monday 15 March on the state of negotiations on CAP reform in preparation for next week’s Council.
Link to the Portuguese Presidency document on the ‘strategic plans’ regulation presented to the SCA: https://bit.ly/3tzALab (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)