CAP reform negotiations: Next round of talks will take place in Luxembourg
On Monday, Parliament's negotiating team on the Common agricultural policy (CAP) reform will travel to Luxembourg to participate in another set of trilateral negotiations with representatives of the Council and Commission.
"From the outset of trilateral talks Parliament's negotiators made it clear that we would be working day and night to reach a positive outcome of negotiations on the future shape of the Common Agricultural policy as soon as possible. Even at this stage, just one week before the end of the Irish presidency, we believe that there is still a chance to conclude by the end of June", said head of the EP negotiating team and chair of the Agriculture committee Paolo De Castro (S&D, IT).
"Although Parliament expected more flexibility from the other two institutions and despite the unwillingness of the Council to negotiate on all aspects of the CAP reform, we will not leave the table and walk away. Parliament's negotiators will go to Luxembourg on Monday to engage in another round of intensive and hopefully fruitful negotiations with our counterparts", Mr. De Castro said.
"But it must be clear that we will not accept whatever Council or Commission put on the table just for sake of having the negotiations finalised during the next week. The quality of the reform is much more important than the speed", Parliament's lead negotiator said.
"If we are able to make a good progress in Luxembourg and if the Irish presidency manages to get agriculture ministers on board, we will return to Brussels to finalise the negotiations on the last remaining aspects of the reform and present the conclusions to all political groups in the Agriculture committee. Only then we will be able to say whether the political deal on the new CAP has been reached", Mr. De Castro concluded.
Parliament's delegation will be leaving Brussels on Monday morning. Four trilogues, one for each regulation, are scheduled to take place in the afternoon and EP negotiators should return to Brussels the same evening.
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