On 15 July, the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture hopes to adopt the draft report by Carmen Crespo (EPP, Spanish), which is expected to argue for an increase in the funding allocated to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the period 2028-2034, and for maintaining its two-pillar structure (direct aid on the one hand, rural development on the other).
MPs tabled 1,532 amendments. The rapporteur, Ms Crespo, hopes to arrive at compromise (amendments) on many points (see EUROPE 13615/5).
As it happens, the European Commission is due to adopt its proposals on the EU’s next multiannual financial framework (MFF) and CAP reform on 16 July, which will complicate the work of the European Parliament given the simultaneous nature of these two major initiatives (see EUROPE 13652/4).
Ms Crespo stressed the need to tackle unfair competition in trade agreements, calling for greater reciprocity. Camilla Laureti (S&D, Italian), for her part, set out her group’s ambitions for the reform of direct payments, in order to better support small farmers, young farmers and the organic and agro-ecology sectors.
Éric Sargiacomo (S&D, French) argued in favour of greater market regulation and more responsive crisis management, and also called for direct aid to be “better targeted at those who need it most”.
Finally, Csaba Dömötör (PfE, Hungarian) talked about the “elephant in the room”: Ukraine’s future membership of the European Union and its consequences for current European farmers. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)