The debate on the future of the CAP has recently moved on with two important steps – the European Parliament plenary vote and the European Council agreement. Just to take up the story, the European Parliament Plenary voted in Strasbourg on 13 March on the over 330 amendments COMAGRI made this year to the European Commission’s official communication on the CP reform in October 2011. This was the first time in history when the Parliament could use her co-decision powers, affecting European Council decisions. This all happened, of course, after the deal reached on long-term budget on February 8, the consequences of which are well summarised in the interview with Paolo de Castro, Chair of COMAGRI at the European Parliament (see the video made by Vi(eu)ws here).
The Plenary vote mainly favoured the Commission’s original ideas against the various amendments. Consequently, Dacian Ciolos, the European commissioner for agriculture, welcomed this fact and said that it was an important step in the CAP reform process (see full reaction here).… Read the rest
Who is happy with EP COMAGRI’s recent vote?
After more than a year of debate, the EP Agriculture and Rural Development Committee began adopting several amendments to the future CAP legislation on 23 and 24 January but approval remains far from certain.
Many criticisms have been made since the vote. The agro-lobby is talking about a melt-down of the urgently needed reforms and greening, reacting on the COMAGRI proposal to allow farmers to ‘opt out’ of mandatory greening requirements and still get at least 70% of the direct payments as well as watering down every single measure with so called ‘equivalents’.
Environmental campaigners also criticised the vote, alleging that the debate was dominated by agricultural interests. The EEB is complaining that the CAP continues to suffer from a fundamental lack of legitimacy as it continues what they call a ‘money for free’ approach, thereby criticising the COMAGRI to pay farmers twice for the same work. Birdlife, for instance, is neither happy with the vote as MEPs have deleted or watered down 10 out of 21 cross-compliance rules, one of the most important ones in the current regime for preserving nature as they say.… Read the rest