On Monday 26 February, the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union is calling on EU agriculture ministers to vote in favour of short- and medium-term measures to help farmers overcome the current crisis.
A note from the Belgian Presidency reminds us that the Agriculture Council has been mandated by the European Council to respond to farmers’ concerns (see EUROPE 13341/4).
The document also details some of the recent or forthcoming measures taken by the Commission (derogation from set-aside rules, safeguard measures with regard to imports of Ukrainian agricultural products into the EU) and refers to the ‘strategic dialogue’ launched on the future of EU agriculture (see EUROPE 13349/3).
The Belgian Presidency notes that it has requested contributions from Member States on measures to simplify the rules of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The European Commission must also come up with ideas.
In order to structure the ministerial debate on 26 February, the Presidency proposes a number of questions concerning: - short-term actions to reduce the administrative burden at national and European level, as well as longer-term actions to simplify the CAP rules and the provisions of other EU legislation and make them more flexible; - other actions that could be considered to address farmers’ concerns (see EUROPE 13350/17). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)