European Union: the Council agrees on reform of the common agriculture policy

In the late evening of 19 March 2013, the Council reached general approach on the reform of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP).

The agreement comprises proposals for regulations on:

• direct payments to farmers. This regulation seeks to ensure better target support for specific actions, areas or beneficiaries and pave the way for convergence through equal distribution of direct support within and across member states.
• a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products. This regulation aims to streamline, expand and simplify the current provisions on public intervention, private storage, exceptional or emergency measures and aid to specific sectors, as well as to facilitate cooperation through producer and interbranch organisations.
• support for rural development. This regulation covers voluntary measures for rural development, adapted to national and regional specificities, whereby member states will draw up and co-finance multiannual programmes under a common framework in cooperation with the EU.
• financing, management and monitoring of the CAP. This horizontal regulation lays down rules concerning expenditure, the farm advisory system, management and control systems to be put in place by member states, cross-compliance and clearance of accounts.

This agreement constitutes a political agreement in the Council on the CAP reform package. This will enable negotiations to be launched between the Parliament and the Council with a view to a political agreement in June this year.

The European Parliament voted on its position at first reading on the CAP reform package on 13 March 2013.