The European Parliament's Agriculture and Rural Development Committee (AGRI) has adopted its position on a proposal to simplify the common agricultural policy (CAP). The draft resolution was approved with 38 votes in favour, 8 against, and 2 abstentions.
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Environmental requirements
The committee supported measures to introduce more flexibility in how farms comply with CAP environmental rules. Farms certified as fully organic, farms with only some organic areas, and farms located in special conservation areas would automatically be considered as meeting certain requirements for keeping land in good agricultural and environmental condition (GAEC).
To protect biodiversity, MEPs propose extending the time required for grassland to be considered permanent. The definition would include land that has not been part of a crop rotation, ploughed, tilled, or reseeded for at least seven years, or land not classified as arable as of 1 January 2023.
Crisis payments
The committee rejected a proposal for a new type of direct payment for farmers affected by natural disasters. Instead, MEPs agreed with the Commission's proposal to introduce crisis payments under rural development funds, adding animal disease outbreaks to the list of eligible events. They also suggested lowering the eligibility threshold for national financial contributions to insurance premiums or mutual funds, reducing the required loss of production or income from 20% to 15%.
Support for small farmers and strategic plans
MEPs proposed higher maximum support levels for small farmers, with annual payments of up to €5,000 (instead of €2,500) and a new one-off payment for business development up to €75,000. They also want to shorten the approval time for amendments to national strategic plans, reducing the period for Commission approval from three months to two.
Next steps
The report is expected to be voted on during the 6–9 October plenary session. Negotiations with member states are due to begin immediately afterwards, with the aim of final adoption in November.
For more information:
Hana Raissi
European Parliament
Tel: +32 2 28 41587
Email: [email protected]
www.europarl.europa.eu