Negotiations between EU institutions on future strategic plans for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) resumed on Tuesday 11 May. Divergences persist on the modalities of eco-regimes and the targeting of direct payments (see EUROPE 12717/9).
Indeed, at Tuesday’s trilogue on the strategic plans, little progress was made in the negotiations on the green architecture of the CAP (eco-regimes and good agricultural and environmental conditions, or GAEC) and the targeting of aid (capping and degressivity of aid, redistributive payment). However, the Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council remains confident that a final agreement on the three CAP reform texts can be reached by the end of May (see EUROPE 12706/1). A super trilogue will take place from 25 to 27 May to try to reach a final compromise on the future CAP.
Trilogue on Wednesday 12 May on the CMO. Regarding the Common Market Organisation (CMO) Regulation, a new trilogue will take place on Wednesday 12 May to try to make progress in the negotiations. The rapporteur, Eric Andrieu (S&D, France), said on Monday 10 May that he believed a full agreement on this CMO dossier was possible during the three-day ‘super trilogue’ (25-27 May).
“The trade package is sensitive” and the Portuguese EU Council Presidency has agreed to discuss “special safeguard measures”, Mr Andrieu said.
Negotiations are also continuing on: - the draft joint declaration on WTO rules; - provisions that would end tolerances on pesticide residues in products imported from third countries (see EUROPE 12713/9).
Mr Andrieu said that an agreement would be within reach on “a derogation from competition law to favour agreements within sectors, as long as they improve sustainability”.
At Monday’s Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA), most delegations would have opposed the Parliament’s proposal to include sugar in the products eligible for intervention, although some countries would be prepared to accept it in the interest of compromise.
Delegations generally supported the EU Council Presidency’s proposal to add table olives to the list of products eligible for private storage (but not rice). The proposal to bring forward by one month the start of the intervention would also have been widely supported.
A new ‘super trilogue’ will take place over 3 days, from 25 to 27 May, to reach a final agreement on the three texts of the future CAP. A two-day Agriculture Council will take place on 26-27 May, in particular to take stock of the dossier and validate the compromises reached on the CAP. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)