Watershed deal as CAP reform inches closer
EU farm ministers have finally agreed their negotiating position for the last phase of CAP reform. Farmers Weekly sets out the results of late night talks in Brussels
A final push for a CAP reform deal will start in earnest next month after European farm ministers thrashed out their negotiating stance in Brussels.
Three-way talks to decide the CAP for 2014-20 are scheduled to start on 11 April. Participants will include representatives from the European Commission, European Council and European Parliament – all of whom must agree the final CAP reform package.
This follows two days of intense negotiations between farm ministers to agree a negotiating position on behalf of all 27 EU member states.
Only Slovenia and Slovakia opposed the agreement, which was approved by 25 votes to two on Tuesday (19 March).
The negotiating stance includes the council position on limiting direct payments, cross-compliance and whether subsidies should be linked to production – as well as the thorny issue of making full financial support dependent on farmers implementing environmental measures.
Farm council president and Irish farm minister Simon Coveney said the agreement was probably the most complex political negotiation he had ever been involved in. But it had resulted in a strong mandate to achieve a final CAP reform package by early summer.
Agreeing a position marked a watershed moment in a lengthy reform process that brought the council considerably closer to the ultimate objective of an overall political agreement with the parliament and commission by the end of June, said Mr Coveney.
“We need to move on quickly from here and build on the momentum,” he said. “I therefore urge all participants across all three institutions to maintain their focus and to redouble their efforts so that, together, we can bring the reform negotiations to a conclusion.”
But it wasn’t all plain sailing. Agreement was delayed for more than three hours while ministers argued over the impact of rural development proposals on Britain’s rebate. The issue remains unresolved and has been referred to the EU Economic and Financial Affairs Council.
Although the full reform package is meant to cover 2014-20, the lengthy negotiations means it will not be implemented until 2015.