Brussels, 02/06/2005 (Agence Europe) - On 20-21 June the Luxembourg presidency will work towards successfully concluding the dossier on the new European Rural Agricultural Development Fund (ERADF) for 2007-13. Negotiations on this dossier will also depend on decision that could be taken during the European Council on 16-17 June.
Bilateral meetings between the Luxembourg presidency and the European Commission, and between agricultural ministers, confirmed the need for the presidency to present a compromise text in June that goes back to the minimum funding rates proposed by the Commission (EUROPE 8909). The Commission is proposing 15% for intervention in section 1 (competitiveness and agriculture) and 3 (diversification in support of farms), 25% for section 2 (territorial management) and 7% for the Leader project (local strategies) but most ministers have requested reductions in minimum funding rates. Other Member States do not accept the Commission's aim to impose this kind of restriction and believe that determining the intervention priorities should be up to the national authorities.
The presidency is expected to suggest in its compromise that the current delimitation of less-favoured areas are conserved until at least 2010, after witnessing at the end of April the opposition of most Member States to the new criteria suggested by the Commission (EUROPE 8937). The presidency is also expected to take into account criticism and divergences among Member States on the Commission proposal to reserve 3% of total Community rural aid to compensate the highest performing countries in the Leader project (this envelope will be sent to Member States in 2012-2013).