MEPs on the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture endorsed by a large majority, on Thursday 9 September, the compromises reached at the end of June between EU institutions on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
The agreement between the EU institutions on the new CAP (see EUROPE 12769/11) has been approved by the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture: 38 votes in favour, 8 against and 2 abstentions for the report by Peter Jahr (EPP, Germany) on strategic plans for the CAP, 40 votes in favour, 5 against and 3 abstentions for the report by Eric Andrieu (S&D, France) on the common market organisation and 39 votes in favour, 7 against and 2 abstentions for the report by Ulrike Müller (Renew Europe, Germany) on financing, management and control of the CAP.
These texts still need to be approved by the full Parliament, probably during one of the two November sessions (10-11 November or 22-25 November), and then by the Council of the EU. The Greens/EFA group reiterated their vote against the agreed texts reforming the CAP.
The new rules will start in 2023 and include social cross-compliance, a mechanism to reduce annual direct payments to farmers above €60,000 by up to 85% and cap them at €100,000, and mandatory eco-schemes (25% of direct aid). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)