Negotiations between EU institutions on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) are intensifying with a view to reaching a final agreement by the end of May.
Trilogues on strategic plans will continue on a weekly basis, according to several European sources. The next trilogues on the strategic plans will take place on 22 and 30 April. The one on Friday 16 April did not lead to progress.
The disagreements continue to revolve around the targeting of aid, including the modalities of capping and degressivity of direct payments, and redistributive payment.
The Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council has proposed a compromise package according to which Member States will have to choose to make at least one of the three instruments (capping, degressivity and redistributive payment) mandatory.
The Parliament calls for all three measures to be mandatory, while the Council of the EU insists that all three tools are optional.
No agreement has been reached, at this stage, on the (mandatory) definition of an active farmer.
Other issues under discussion are the architecture of the future CAP and social conditionality (see EUROPE 12699/11). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)