During the Agriculture Council meeting on Monday 30 March, the agriculture ministers of several Central and Eastern European countries will present a joint position in favour of a strong, distinct and equitable post-2027 common agricultural policy (CAP).
According to the joint declaration by the agriculture ministers of the Visegrad Group (Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia), joined by Bulgaria and Romania, these countries regret that the European Commission has failed to take into account the EU Council conclusions adopted unanimously on 9 December 2024 (see EUROPE 13814/10).
“A fair distribution of CAP support, in particular direct payments, among Member States is a sensitive issue and an adequate solution should be sought”, the ministers emphasise. They insist on the need to maintain a distinct and independent CAP, structured around two pillars.
The ministers express regret that the proposed ring-fenced budget for the CAP will not enable the current level to be maintained. They are calling for sufficient and adequate funding, maintained at least at current levels in constant prices.
According to these countries, the proposed approach of a single fund, based on national and regional partnership plans, could compromise the integrity and common nature of the CAP.
They are also asking the Commission to allow direct payment envelopes to be adjusted for the 2027 application year to ensure continuity in the level of support.
Central role of the Agriculture Council. The ministers reiterate that they bear the political responsibility for implementing the CAP. As such, the Agriculture Council and the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA), as the preparatory body, are tasked with negotiating and adopting the EU Council’s position on the CAP’s legislative framework, with the exception of financial issues, which are typically decided by the European Council within the context of negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
In addition, the countries concerned are calling for all CAP-related articles contained in the Regulation on National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs) to be transferred to the CAP and common market organisation (CMO) legislation, including the definition of a farmer.
The proposed national cofinancing rates could, according to the declaration, create inequalities between Member States and farmers. The signatories believe that eco-schemes should remain 100% funded by the EU.
They also consider the proposed rules on degressivity and capping of area-based income support to be too rigid. They advocate the voluntary application of capping and degressivity.
Income support. The signatory countries believe that the uninterrupted continuity of area- and livestock-based interventions (income support, payments for natural constraints, etc.) must not be compromised by the late adoption of plans or by the application of conditionalities having no direct link to agriculture.
The importance of coupled income support for sectors and products facing difficulties is underscored.
They are also opposed to abolishing area-based income support for farmers receiving a retirement pension.
Green measures. Regarding environmental matters, the countries concerned request that Member States be permitted to maintain their current eco-schemes, while retaining their nature as additional payments. The proposed ‘transition action plans’ should remain voluntary.
“Taking into account the time-consuming negotiations and the time needed for the preparation and adoption of the CAP-related plans, [we] urge the European Commission to make a proposal for transitional rules [...] to ensure legal certainty and predictability for farmers and national authorities”, they conclude.
Link to the declaration: https://aeur.eu/f/ld0 (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)