New “principles” for the granting of direct aid to farmers, redistribution of aid, which will ensure the “fair distribution” of resources to support the primary sector, as well as simplification of the procedures for the exercise of agricultural activity, he puts on the “table » of the discussions on the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), coming after 2027, opinion of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR).
At the same time, it identifies the “bad texts” of the current CAP 2023-27, characterizing provisions as insufficient, such as those concerning “climate-friendly land management”, also recommending that the new CAP take into account that branch of the primary sector, which addresses the effects of the climate crisis. A “tipping point” is the adaptation of the interventions of the new CAP according to the needs and diversity of EU agricultural and livestock holdings.
Changes to the new CAP, under pressure from farming movements in Europe, have already been proposed in the Strategic Dialogue report on the future of EU agriculture, presented to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, which includes a number of recommendations for changes to agricultural sector. In it, it is proposed, among other things, that instead of giving direct support to farmers based on the land they own, subsidies should be granted “to active farmers who need them most”, with relevant decisions based on the “financial viability” of these farmers.
“There is no more time to waste in implementing new regulations to make European agriculture profitable again”, stresses the European Committee of the Regions
Direct aid in the new CAP
Arguing that “there is no more time to waste in implementing new regulations to make European agriculture profitable again”, the CoR stresses that new principles for granting direct aid and better market regulation will be required.
This includes reviewing the rules for capping aid to avoid further weakening the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises.
The bell is indeed ringing, compliance with the requirements deriving from the Green Agreement to be carried out on time. In this context, it recommends that special attention be paid to avoiding additional administrative formalities.
“Fair guaranteed income” in the new CAP
Along the same lines, the CoR calls on the Commission to design an instrument of “fair guaranteed income” for agricultural holdings that do not obtain a satisfactory level of income from their agricultural activities. This instrument, as proposed, should complement agricultural income, making it comparable to other sectors.
At the same time, this instrument will be able to be used in agricultural holdings that play an important role in the preservation of multi-use agricultural lands, such as agricultural lands of high natural value, in agricultural holdings that apply traditional production methods and in agricultural holdings that are necessary for the preventing the abandonment of agricultural activities and the depopulation of rural areas, as well as the preservation of ecosystems of high natural value, such as those dedicated to extensive or mountain livestock farming or the breeding of indigenous animal breeds.
To provide for mandatory and increased redistributive aids (aids for small and medium-sized agricultural holdings)
Redistribution of aid in the new CAP
In fact, in order to make it possible to redistribute the aid according to the various types and sizes of agricultural holdings, according to the needs of each place, it is proposed to take into account the conditions under which agricultural activities are carried out.
In particular, mandatory and increased redistributive aids (aids for small and medium-sized farms) should be provided for, while setting a ceiling for CAP subsidies, with a view to increasing the income of all farmers.
In addition, it calls on the European Commission to increase the use of financial instruments so that farmers can have access to credit.
Balancing first and second pillar
It recommends maintaining the possibilities offered by the CAP to the Member States in order to balance the aid and interventions of the first pillar with those of the second.
In this context, it recommends the shift of direct payments from an approach based on agricultural area to a system that will combine multiple factors: labor intensity, size of the agricultural holding, category of the owner (especially supporting young farmers), agricultural added value, the areas where climate change adaptation measures are applied, the areas where sustainable agriculture is practiced and the degree of use and protection of environmental resources (impact of activities on the environment).
This shift should be gradual in order to allow farmers to adapt to the new rules.
The simplification of the procedures for the exercise of agricultural activities that fall within the framework of the CAP 2027+ is supported
Simplification of the new CAP
The CoR supports the requests to simplify the procedures for carrying out agricultural activities that fall within the framework of the CAP 2027+. Reducing the administrative burden on farmers and establishing more consistent and easily applicable rules for the electronic control of the fulfillment of these formalities will make their activities more efficient, reducing unnecessary procedures, allowing them to focus on production, innovation and investment, and improving the resilience and sustainability of the agricultural sector.
In fact, it calls for EU requirements for national strategic plans to be simplified for the next funding period and for EU implementing regulations to be adopted more quickly, as they were sometimes adopted too late in the current funding period, making implementation more difficult their. Similar simplifications should apply to all areas of the CAP, including rural development.
Emergency Plan for Generational Renewal
In the CoR’s opinion, there is also a recommendation to make available under the new CAP additional funds and the implementation of special policies by region, where the future of agriculture is in doubt, due to population shrinkage, population aging or a combination of the two.
To address the issue of an aging rural population, it is proposed to support young farmers, for example, in terms of business acquisition and knowledge transfer. After all, young farmers are the ones who keep culture alive, contribute to the socio-economic cohesion of rural areas and are open to innovative solutions.
In this context, it asks the European Commission to promote and facilitate the activation of an emergency generational renewal plan, which will favor the access of young people to land, the dissemination of innovation and services in agricultural enterprises, so that they become more effective, vital and sustainable. Support should also be extended beyond the first five years of the opening of the farm for young farmers applying agroecological methods, in order to support its development and competitiveness in a sustainable way and to encourage generational succession in agricultural holdings by establishing public farm banks.
SOURCE: ot.gr
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