The Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU remains determined to reach an agreement with the European Parliament on the package to simplify the rules of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) before the end of the year, so that farmers and administrations can benefit from the measures during 2026 and 2027.
Following the failure of initial discussions between EU institutions on 17 October, the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Member States to the EU (Coreper) agreed on Wednesday on a slightly modified negotiating mandate for the next trilogue negotiations with the European Parliament at the beginning of November, according to a European source (see EUROPE 13734/11).
The Danish Presidency of the Council has proposed four principles for dealing with the amendments proposed by the European Parliament, according to a Council note consulted by Agence Europe.
The aim is to retain the main elements of the Council’s original mandate adopted on 3 September, while introducing a degree of flexibility (see EUROPE 13701/15).
Maintaining the focus on simplification. Some of the European Parliament’s amendments are considered to be “outside the scope of the simplification exercise” and should therefore be referred to other negotiation processes, the memo states. In some cases, the amendments concern the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) or the proposal for the 2028-2034 MFF. The Council therefore suggests examining these proposals in the context of other legislative initiatives, such as the post-2027 CAP reform.
The Council also says it is prepared to examine a limited number of European Parliament amendments “which are not central to the simplification exercise but also do not add administrative burdens for farmers or national administrations”. This includes proposals for support for young farmers, producer organisations and business start-ups. These provisions should be applicable during the last two years of the programming period.
Flexibility with regard to Parliament. On certain points, the Council could show flexibility when the proposals actually contribute to simplification. “This relates in particular to controls, the thresholds for certain types of farms to be covered by certain rules, or regarding the amounts that may be granted in support of certain schemes”, says the memo. These proposals should be easy to implement during the last two years of the programming period.
Finally, the Council has said that it is prepared to accept certain modifications to the CAP’s national strategic plans, provided that these provisions are optional for the Member States or leave them a margin of choice, without creating new binding obligations. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)