Brussels, 18/04/2002 (Agence Europe) - Commission Franz Fischler confirmed before the press on Wednesday, on the fringe of the European Commission meeting, that the mid-term review of the Common Agricultural Policy (Cap) would certainly not consist in a "radical reform of the Cap". Before his services put the finishing touches to his proposal, that should be adopted on 20 June, Fischler recalled that there were different schools of thought on the evolution of the Cap, ranging from unfettered liberalisation to the retention of the current provisions, concluding that the "Mid-Term Review" should be situated somewhere in the middle of these two extreme theories: greater openness of production markets, combined with a strengthening of the environmental aspects, product quality and food safety.
He said that one the main political questions would be to find systems (modulation, de-coupling or even a digressive approach to direct aid) allowing for funds stemming from market expenditure to be further transferred to the second pillar: rural development. He also confirmed that they had to settle the problem of the stocks of intervention rye and review the schemes for dried fodder and rice. He confirmed that it would be difficult to propose altering the common market organisation (cmo) for milk, due to political decisions taken by the European Council of Berlin not to alter the quota regime before 2005. The Commission will, however, adopt a report presenting different options for the system's future, post-2008, which should encourage Member States to debate the issue as from today. He also stipulated that, in 2003, the Commission would propose reviewing or reforming, probably in the form of a "package", the sugar, tobacco and olive oil sectors.