The European Parliament should be in a position to vote on the three texts reforming the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) at the end of October or in November, said the chairman of the European Parliament Committee on Agriculture, Norbert Lins (EPP, Germany), on Thursday 1 July.
In general, the members of this committee welcomed the results of the interinstitutional negotiations on the new CAP, which will enter into force on 1 January 2023 (see EUROPE 12749/1).
Technical work between Parliament, the European Commission, and the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council will continue to finalise the content of the new CAP regulations shortly after the summer, according to Mr Lins.
Strategic plans. For rapporteur Peter Jahr (EPP, Germany), Parliament negotiated to the limit while the Commission failed in its role as an impartial mediator. On eco-regimes, the figure of 25% was retained, which is close to what Parliament had initially advocated (30%).
Martin Hlaváček (Renew Europe, the Czech Republic) welcomed a reform for a profitable and greener agriculture. He welcomed the results on Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) and the alignment of the CAP with the European Green Deal. Maria Noichl (S&D, Germany) would have liked to see more ambitious decisions on efforts in terms of eco-regimes and conditionality.
Martin Häusling (Greens/EFA, Germany) did not hide his disappointment. He feared a race to the bottom in green architecture and regretted the lack of capping on direct aid to large companies.
Bert-Jan Ruissen (ECR, The Netherlands), on the other hand, welcomed an ambitious package that can work thanks to the room for manoeuvre left to EU Member States.
Markets. The rapporteur on the Common Market Organisation (CMO) text, Eric Andrieu (S&D, France), welcomed the “almost unhoped-for results”, given that amendments tabled by the European Parliament had to be negotiated. He mentioned the involvement of the Portuguese Minister of Agriculture in making “valuable compromises”.
On the sensitive issue of pesticide residues in imported products, the planned joint declaration commits the Commission to ensuring that this issue is addressed as part of the ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy from 2022.
According to Mr Andrieu, the declaration on sugar should make it possible to introduce new provisions (following the publication of a study) in favour of this ailing sector.
Latest compromise texts on strategic plans: https://bit.ly/3dw4tqK; and on the CMO: https://bit.ly/3wbDmb9 (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)