Final phase of negotiatons under way in CAP talks
For the first time ever, the final phase of negotiations gathers together representatives of the European Commission, Council and European Parliament. This trilogues phase started last Thursday in Brussels — the first of about 30 trilogue meetings in Brussels or Strasbourg.
The Commission has an important role in these meetings, said a spokesperson — to be vigilant to safeguard the coherence of the proposals, while acting as a facilitator for Council and European Parliament co-legislators in order to achieve a balanced and ambitious deal.
*Why, after the vote at the European Parliament and the last Council of EU Ministers of agriculture, is CAP reform not already adopted?
>>The new procedure under the Lisbon treaty is applied for the first time for a CAP reform. That is why, following the vote by the European Parliament (March 13) and the agreement among EU Agriculture Ministers (March 19) – finalising their respective negotiating mandates – the final phase of negotiations on CAP reform started April 11, with two trilogues gathering together representatives of the European Commission, Council and European Parliament.
*What is a trilogue?
>>The purpose of the trilogues is to facilitate the adoption of the legislative proposal through these restricted, political discussions during which the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission negotiate.
*When is an agreement foreseen?
>>In total, around 30 trilogue meetings should take place in Brussels or Strasbourg on the four regulations tabled by the European Commission in October 2011 (on direct payments, rural development, market organisation and horizontal aspects), with a view of reaching a political agreement under the Irish presidency, before the end of June 2013.
*Who participates in the trilogues?
>>During the trilogues on the CAP reform, the Council will be represented by the Special Agricultural Committee chair of the relevant Council Presidency and his/her team. The European Parliament negotiating team is to be composed of the chair of the agricultural committee (Paolo De Castro), the rapporteur and his shadow rapporteurs (who include Ireland East MEP Mairead McGuinness, one of the lead negotiators on direct payments).
The commission will be represented by the Director General (José Manuel Silva Rodríguez, Spain) or the relevant deputy director general and his team.
*What does it mean in legal terms for the CAP reform process?
>>The CAP reform legislative package is still in first reading, that is, the European Parliament and the Council have not yet formally adopted their positions on the Commission’s proposal. This allows the co-legislators to find compromises on the CAP reform in a timely fashion during these trilogue meetings. Once these compromises are found, the European Parliament and the council would be in a position to adopt them.
*What are the open issues to be discussed in the coming weeks?
>>The main concepts of the reform proposals such as 30% of greening of direct payments; a fairer distribution of the CAP support between member states, as well as between regions, sectors and farmers; several aspects related to the improvement of the rural development policy; and more effective market mechanisms; are widely supported by the Council and the European Parliament.
Nevertheless, important work still needs to be done on open issues such as internal convergence. This is the level of the rebalancing of the direct payment to farmers within member states. The European Commission strongly supports the idea of setting an absolute minimum for internal convergence to increase the level of payments for the farmers who were the least supported during the last years.
Efficient greening instruments are necessary both for the good management of natural resources and for the long-term competitiveness of farmers. The European Commission will be vigilant to ensure that simple and efficient greening measures are to be implemented all over Europe, on a mandatory basis, which means for example a real regime of sanction in case of non-compliance.
The European Commission will continue to defend its proposal of a mandatory 25% top up support for the direct payment to young farmers during the first five years, and other additional tools to better target support to young farmers, small farmers scheme, and less favoured areas.
The commission also encouraging producers’ organisations, interbranch associations and short supply chains to improve competitiveness and provide added value for farmers, while abandoning certain old mechanisms such as sugar quotas.
The commission wants degressivity in the basic payments (but not the greening payment) above €150,000, with a cap at €300,000 (taking labour costs into account), to be compulsory in all member states. Funds generated would be shifted to rural development in the same region/member state.
