Farm leaders welcome CAP reform

EUROPEAN farm leaders yesterday welcomed proposals by Brussels to simplify overly bureaucratic aspects of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), especially in areas of cross-compliance and administration of entitlements, but they stressed that stability must remain the priority.

The respective presidents of EU farmers and co-ops, Jean-Michel Lemetayer, COPA, and Donal Cashman, COGECA, warned against using the CAP “health check” for more than a verification the 2003 reform is working well.

Mr Cashman said farmers now need a period of stability.