The main elements of the political agreement on the CAP reform package figure in the four compromise texts prepared by the Presidency:

- the proposal for a regulation establishing rules for direct payments to farmers (direct payments regulation) (13294/1/13). The direct payment regulation seeks to better target support for specific actions, areas or beneficiaries, as well as to pave the way for convergence of the support level within and across member states;

- the proposal for a regulation establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products (13369/1/13). The single common market organisation (CMO) regulation aims to streamline, expand and simplify the current provisions on public intervention, private storage, exceptional or emergency measures and aid to specific sectors, as well as to facilitate cooperation through producer and interbranch organisations;

- the proposal for a regulation on support for rural development (rural development regulation) (13349/1/13). The rural development regulation covers voluntary measures for rural development, adapted to national and regional specificities, whereby member states draw up and co-finance multiannual programmes under a common framework in cooperation with the EU;

- the proposal for a regulation on the financing, management and monitoring of the CAP (horizontal regulation) (13387/1/13). The horizontal regulation lays down rules concerning expenditure, the farm advisory system, the management and control systems to be put in place by member states, the cross-compliance system and the clearance of accounts.

The European Parliament has approved the compromise texts at the meeting of its Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development on 30 September 2013. The Chairman of the SCA, for the Presidency, has sent a letter to the Chairman of the European Parliament´s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development. This letter indicates that if the Parliament votes at its plenary session the compromise texts as approved by the SCA today, after legal-linguistic revision, the Council will be able to reach agreement with the European Parliament on CAP reform package in first reading.

Source: consilium.europa.eu, ag-press.eu