Brussels, 28/04/2009 (Agence Europe) - On 24 April in Luxembourg, EU member state agriculture ministers discussed the strategy for simplifying the rules of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Several member states underlined the need to fine-tune the provisions on cross-compliance (the granting of direct subsidies on condition that environmental, animal welfare and other norms are respected). The aim is above all to make controls less binding. Czech Agriculture Minister Petr Gandaloviè, who chairs the work of the Council, confirmed his intention to have conclusions on CAP simplification adopted by the European ministers on 25 May.
France has shown it is the most vigilant country when it comes to simplification decisions. Michel Barnier, the French minister, underlined that simplification must not serve as a pretext for doing away with regulatory instruments. “Aid decoupling - that is a political choice and not administrative simplification”, he pointed out. Spain noted that good progress had been made on simplification. The Spanish minister, Elena Espinosa, said in essence that this work should continue but without bringing into question the objectives of the CAP. Italy placed emphasis on the “dissuasive” nature of the requirements prior to payment of agricultural subsidies which, when all is said and done, only represents an annual average of €2200. Luxembourg explained that farmers are giving up their intention to request aid as the administrative costs involved are sometimes higher than the subsidies received. Most ministers underlined the major role played by payment agencies, but stressed that these cannot be a substitute for political decisions. Many ministers stressed the fact that a cut in administrative costs should not only be to the advantage of the administrations, but also to the farmers.
Danish Minister Eva Kjer Hansen presented a paper supported by 17 countries (Germany, Estonia, Ireland, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Finland, Sweden, United Kingdom, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Austria and Malta), which provides for 34 simplification proposals, 24 of which concern cross-compliance rules. Mariann Fischer Boel, Agriculture Commissioner, defended this initiative, albeit stressing that some of the proposals will concern a period after 2013 (end of current financial framework). The Danish document will be discussed in September this year under Swedish EU Presidency, with a view to possible Council conclusions in November.
In the document, Denmark recommends that controls carried out at present by the public authorities to ensure compliance with cross-compliance regulations be replaced with a certification mechanism such as that which exists in the industrial sector (milk and dairy products, slaughterhouses). The use of private certification agencies would allow the number of official controls to be reduced - an idea that is, however, rejected at this stage by the European Commission. Less rigorous monitoring of small breaches of cross-compliance rules on farms has also been requested. Ideas have been put forward to lighten the administrative burden in rural development policy. (L.C./transl.jl)