Agriculture
The future of food and farming: Common Agricultural Policy post 2020
"Over the years the Common Agricultural Policy has delivered food security to European citizens and provided a fairer income for our farmers. It has helped create jobs, preserve rural regions and communities, and encouraged a competitive agri-food sector. We now have the responsibility to make it even better after 2020: simpler, more effective, sustainable, modern and resilient." - Tarmo Tamm, minister of Rural Affairs of the Republic of Estonia
The Commission presented to the Council its communication on "The Future of Food and Farming", which sets out the guiding lines of the Commission'svision for the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) period after 2020.
The communication puts marked emphasis on objectives such as fostering a smart and resilient agricultural sector, bolstering environmental care and climate action, and strengthening the social fabric of rural areas. In order to achieve these objectives and unleash the potential of the agricultural sector, the Commission maintains the existing two-pillar structure but also proposes major changes, such as an enhanced role for member states in drafting their own strategic plans, and replacing complex greening rules to the benefit of a more targeted, more ambitious yet flexible approach.
Ministers then had a first opportunity to react to the ideas set out in the communication and highlight what they considered to be the strategic issues for the future CAP. In particular, they expressed their views on the new elements outlined by the Commission, such as enhanced subsidiarity and the overhaul of greening rules. Many ministers stressed the need for an adequate future budget to match the high expectations placed on the agri-food sector.
Ministers generally agreed that the CAP had achieved its main objectives and that its main features and pillar structure should therefore be maintained. In light of this and of the ambitious objectives that the CAP is asked to help achieve (e.g. climate action, attainment of sustainable development goals), they stressed the importance to have an adequate funding for the CAP from the EU budget.
Ministers restated the need to continue with direct payments and generally opposed the idea of co-funding of pillar 1 in order to guarantee a level playing field. Some member states advocated for further external convergence of direct payments. Pillar 2 was also indicated as key.
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Full document available via the link below.
More information on this Council meeting is available here.
