The delicate subject of the ‘green architecture’ of the future common agricultural policy (CAP) will be discussed on 30 April by the EU institutions, according to Parliament’s rapporteur on strategic plans, Peter Jahr (EPP, Germany), on Wednesday 14 April. “This will be an important hurdle to try to overcome”, he said in a meeting of Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture.
At the next trilogue on strategic plans on Friday 16 April, negotiators will again discuss the targeting of direct aid (capping and degressivity of aid and redistributive payments). The definition of an active farmer could be agreed.
The Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council proposes to make one of the following aid targeting mechanisms compulsory: either redistributive payments, capping of aid, or degressivity (reduction) of direct payments (see EUROPE 12697/11). For its part, the European Parliament would like these three instruments to be mandatory.
Furthermore, the EU Council advocates 20% of the payments to be reserved for eco-regimes and the Parliament expects 30%.
Norbert Lins (EPP, Germany), Chairman of Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture, admitted that “the sticking points on the CAP reform are still there”.
Martin Häusling (Greens/EFA, Germany) called on the European Commission to make compromises and said Parliament was “giving up a lot” in the negotiations. Green architecture and eco-regimes are “at the heart” of the reform, according to Mr Häusling.
Social conditionality. Paolo De Castro (S&D) said that “the EU Council and the Commission should be more ambitious” on the social dimension of the CAP. “Otherwise, the Socialists will not be able to adopt the final agreement”, he warned. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)