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Support for Farmers: Council Endorses Targeted Review of the Common Agricultural Policy
Responding to Farmers' Concerns: Simplification, Flexibility, and Environmental Commitment.
The Agriculture and Fisheries Council had, in its February meeting, expressed a strong political will to address the concerns raised by farmers promptly. Following this, the Commission unveiled its proposal in March, marking a significant step toward amending the CAP regulations to better serve Europe's agricultural sector. This targeted review stands as a testament to the EU's dedication to supporting its farmers through both challenging times and the pursuit of sustainable agriculture.
By eEuropa Blog
Brussels, 27 March 2024 - 3 MINUTES READ
Brussels, 27 March 2024 - 3 MINUTES READ
EU Ministers for Agriculture have given their nod to a targeted review of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as proposed by the European Commission.
This revision aims to simplify the implementation process, reduce the administrative load on farmers, and offer more flexibility in meeting certain environmental conditions.
Under the pressure exerted by 300 tractors that stormed the European district in Brussels, with fires and manure spread across the streets, David Clarinval, the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture, highlighted the immediate response to the demands of the farmers, achieving a balance between the required flexibility and the ambitious environmental goals of the CAP.
Ensuring a Targeted Response
The review focuses on specific aspects of the CAP strategic plans regulation and the regulation on financing, management, and monitoring of the CAP. It carefully maintains the balance between addressing farmers' concerns and sustaining the high environmental and climate ambitions of the current CAP.
Adapting Conditionalities
Significant among the changes is the introduction of provisions allowing for temporary and targeted exemptions from certain conditionality requirements due to unforeseen climatic events.
This flexibility is crucial for farmers struggling with unpredictable weather conditions that make compliance challenging. Additional specific exemptions aim to reduce the burden on farmers while still prioritizing environmental and climate benefits. These include more flexible soil protection measures, alternatives to crop rotation in challenging climates, and voluntary landscape feature maintenance and creation.
Furthermore, the review provides significant relief to small farms, exempting those under 10 hectares from conditionality compliance controls and penalties. This move is expected to lower administrative burdens significantly, as it affects 65% of CAP beneficiaries, who operate just around 10% of agricultural land.
More Flexibility for Member States and Farmers
In alignment with previous requests from member states, the revised regulations will allow EU countries to amend their CAP strategic plans up to twice each year, enhancing their ability to adapt to changing conditions. This adjustment aims to provide member states and farmers with the necessary leeway to respond to evolving agricultural landscapes.
What Next?
The EU Council is preparing to send the review proposal to the European Parliament, which is ready to adopt it next April. With this accelerated process, the EU institutions want to underline their commitment to quickly respond to the expressed needs of the agricultural sector.
This revision aims to simplify the implementation process, reduce the administrative load on farmers, and offer more flexibility in meeting certain environmental conditions.
Under the pressure exerted by 300 tractors that stormed the European district in Brussels, with fires and manure spread across the streets, David Clarinval, the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture, highlighted the immediate response to the demands of the farmers, achieving a balance between the required flexibility and the ambitious environmental goals of the CAP.
Ensuring a Targeted Response
The review focuses on specific aspects of the CAP strategic plans regulation and the regulation on financing, management, and monitoring of the CAP. It carefully maintains the balance between addressing farmers' concerns and sustaining the high environmental and climate ambitions of the current CAP.
Adapting Conditionalities
Significant among the changes is the introduction of provisions allowing for temporary and targeted exemptions from certain conditionality requirements due to unforeseen climatic events.
This flexibility is crucial for farmers struggling with unpredictable weather conditions that make compliance challenging. Additional specific exemptions aim to reduce the burden on farmers while still prioritizing environmental and climate benefits. These include more flexible soil protection measures, alternatives to crop rotation in challenging climates, and voluntary landscape feature maintenance and creation.
Furthermore, the review provides significant relief to small farms, exempting those under 10 hectares from conditionality compliance controls and penalties. This move is expected to lower administrative burdens significantly, as it affects 65% of CAP beneficiaries, who operate just around 10% of agricultural land.
More Flexibility for Member States and Farmers
In alignment with previous requests from member states, the revised regulations will allow EU countries to amend their CAP strategic plans up to twice each year, enhancing their ability to adapt to changing conditions. This adjustment aims to provide member states and farmers with the necessary leeway to respond to evolving agricultural landscapes.
What Next?
The EU Council is preparing to send the review proposal to the European Parliament, which is ready to adopt it next April. With this accelerated process, the EU institutions want to underline their commitment to quickly respond to the expressed needs of the agricultural sector.
