Future CAP: MEPs favour maintaining a strong, reformed, common agricultural policy

Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel denied ever having backed a draft communication, leaked to the press a few weeks ago, which proposed deep cuts in CAP spending.

 

The workshop, attended by farm policy experts, was held to help MEPs prepare their position on CAP reform after 2013, which should be ready before next summer.

 

 

Agriculture Committee Chair Paolo De Castro (S&D, IT), questioned the Commissioner on the draft communication,  entitled "A Reform Agenda for a Global Europe - Reforming the Budget, Changing Europe", which had been extensively debated in the media, despite not being an official document. The paper addressed the reform of the EU budget from 2013 onwards.

 

If EU agricultural policy is to address important new demands, including food security, biodiversity and water management, "it is a paradox that (...) a significant reduction in resources is proposed", said Mr De Castro. The Commissioner replied that this "non-paper" was now "in the bin and it is up to the next Commission to present its views" on CAP budget reform.

 

The Agriculture Committee also unanimously approved an oral question to the Commission on the same issue, and specifically on the possibility of "renationalising"  CAP spending.

 

 

The future CAP should be able to ensure environmental protection, social development and food supply, said Stephane Le Foll (S&D, FR).

 

Debate should focus first on the new CAP's aims, then on the reform of its budget, said Martin Hausling (Green/EFA, DE). "We need to reinvent the intervention instruments, not to dismantle them", agreed Committee Vice-Chair José Bové (Green/EFA, FR).

 

"I believe very firmly that we need a strong CAP for the future", said Mrs Fischer Boel. As future challenges for EU agricultural policy after 2013, she cited climate change, land management, rural development and security of food supply. On food security, she noted that world population growth figures suggest that the EU needs to increase its food production by 70 to 100% by 2050.

 

 

"Only 5% of population is directly involved in agriculture, but all citizens are concerned by food quality!" said EPP group co-ordinator on these issues Albert Dess (EPP, DE). Mr Dess argued that the the CAP should be maintained after 2013 and that one of its key objectives should be to "guarantee security of food supply to 200 million consumers". At the same time, "We have to ensure that the new CAP focuses on a competitive agriculture", stressed George Lyon (ALDE, UK), agriculture spokesman for the Liberals.

 

The EU should give "farmers the freedom to respond competitively to market signals" while granting "support through crises", said Mrs Fischer Boel, adding that "it is possible to have a safety net that doesn't discourage competitiveness, and that's what we need".

 

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

In the chair: Paolo De Castro (S&D, IT)