Unsurprisingly, at a meeting of the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA), on Friday 18 July, a large number of EU Member States protested against the European Commission’s proposal to reduce the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) budget by around 20% for the 2028-2034 period.
Several delegations also opposed the idea of combining all programmes into a common fund, expressing concern about abandoning the current two-pillar structure - one dedicated to direct aid, the other to rural development (see EUROPE 13682/3, 13682/4).
Some Member States felt that the budget earmarked for agriculture was insufficient. Others opposed the principle of capping direct payments and their degression.
Delegations also raised the issue of external convergence of aid, a mechanism designed to gradually reduce the differences in direct payments between Member States. Others disagreed with the exclusion of retired farmers from this aid.
At this meeting, the Commission presented the broad outlines of its CAP reform proposals, as well as the architecture of the future Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
Several pillars are envisaged, including: - national and regional partnership plans (this pillar includes the CAP regulation and the text relating to common market organisation); - the European Competitiveness Fund, including Horizon Europe and research and innovation programmes in the fields of agriculture and bioeconomy.
The Commission is said to have mentioned several areas for reform: - fairer and better-targeted public support, particularly for young farmers, women, small farms and new entrants; - the introduction of a €100,000 aid cap and a degression mechanism; - stronger environmental and climate incentives (new farm management system designed to maintain high environmental and animal welfare standards).
The Danish Presidency of the EU Council plans to put this file on the agenda for the forthcoming meetings of the Agriculture Council. An official presentation of the package is scheduled for September, followed by thematic discussions at subsequent sessions. The proposals will be examined at the SCA meeting on 1 September, as well as within the Council’s working parties. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)