Parliament to vote on the future of EU farm policy
MEPs will debate and vote on plans to make EU farm policy more sustainable, resilient and flexible so that it can continue to deliver food security across the EU.
The debate is scheduled for Tuesday morning and votes will take place throughout the week.
MEPs are set to endorse a policy shift that should better tailor the Common Agricultural Policy to the needs of individual member states. National governments should draft strategic plans specifying how they intend to implement EU objectives on the ground. The Commission would be checking their performance, not only their compliance with EU rules.
Plans to enhance mandatory climate- and environmentally-friendly practices that each farmer must apply to receive direct support and to boost financial support for practices that farmers can apply voluntarily are also part of the reform package. MEPs will also vote on proposals to reduce payments to bigger farms and channel more money to smaller farms and young farmers, to help them deal with crises and to simplify rules on carrying out checks and controls.
Once Parliament has taken its decision, MEPs will be ready to start talks with EU ministers on the reform package.
Background
The last reform of the EU farm policy, established in 1962, dates back to 2013.
Current CAP rules expire on 31 December 2020. They should be replaced by transitional rules until the ongoing CAP reform is agreed and approved by the Parliament and Council.
The CAP accounts for 34.5% of the 2020 EU budget (€58.12 billion). Around 70% of the CAP budget supports income of six to seven million EU farms.
Procedure: Ordinary Legislative Procedure
2018/0216(COD), 2018/0218(COD), 2018/0217(COD)
Debate: Tuesday, 20 October
Vote: Tuesday, 20 October - Friday, 23 October