On 14 May, the European Commission will be presenting proposals to further simplify certain rules of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), focusing in particular on additional flexibility with regard to Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC).
GAEC is one of the main cross-compliance criteria for European agricultural aid (see EUROPE 13604/23, 13566/10).
A table setting out these measures, obtained by Agence Europe on Wednesday 16 April, particularly notes the changes to GAEC 2 (protection of wetlands and peatlands). The European Commission suggests that EU Member States should be given the option of relying more on national legislation and providing financial incentives for farmers to comply with these requirements.
With regard to GAEC 1 (maintenance of permanent grassland), while the current rules specify that permanent grassland may not be reduced by more than 5% compared with 2018, this limit could be raised to 7% under the proposed changes. In addition, the age at which grassland is deemed permanent could be increased from 5 to 7 years.
Organic farming. Farmers producing organic food should obtain ‘green by definition’ status for GAECs 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 (this was already the case for GAEC 7 on crop rotation). This is “recognition of the efforts made by organic farmers to improve the impact of agriculture on water and soil”, explained a European source. Organic certification can therefore play an important role in the simplification agenda.
Other measures are also planned, particularly for young farmers and small farms.
In addition, the European Commission is considering deleting two articles requiring Member States to adapt national strategic plans that implement the CAP to take into account EU climate and environmental legislation.
The measures also provide for EU countries to create – on a voluntary basis – a crisis intervention facility for emergencies linked to natural disasters (up to 2% of the envelope provided for in the CAP strategic plans). Measures are also planned for financial aid for the fruit and vegetable sector (an increase of 0.5% in EU financial aid to producer organisations, subject to conditions).
One inspection per year. The Commission suggests amending the horizontal CAP regulation to state that Member States may ensure that a farmer is not subject to an on-the-spot check for CAP interventions more than once per year.
In mid-May 2024, the EU Council approved the regulation aimed at relaxing certain CAP rules (see EUROPE 13408/20). The relaxations, aimed in part at responding to concerns raised by EU farmers, concerned five GAEC standards, the amendment of CAP strategic plans and exemptions from aid controls and penalties.
Link to the table of simplification measures: https://aeur.eu/f/gfp (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)