Major reform of CAP is vital, all members agree

THE future of the Common Agricultural Policy after 2020 was debated by the Commission for Natural Resources ( NAT) which is part of the European Committee of the Regions.

The local representatives from 28 member states who make up the Committee of the Regions ( CoR) were all agreed that major reform of CAP is necessary.

Delegates at the latest meeting in Palma de Majorca adopted a draft opinion of the future of the CAP by Guillaume Cros of France. This included a recommendation to tackle the volatility of agricultural prices by regulating markets to prevent structural surpluses or shortfalls and making food chains fairer for farmers.

The draft opinion also called for market driven income opportunities for farmer and a switch from the direct payments per hectare approach to one based on direct payments per hectare capped and modulated per farmer.

It also recommended adopting a rural agenda enabling all EU policies to prioritise the development of rural areas.

Mr Cros said: Given the many challenges facing the EU and its agriculture, food and rural areas, the CoR’s NAT commission is issuing a strong signal in support of major reform.”

He argued: “We need a fair, sustainable and solidarity based Common Agricultural and Food Policy that is economically, socially, environmentally, regionally and internationally legitimate.

“Without an income guaranteed by fair and stable agricultural prices, without a fairer mode of production and without greater efforts to develop rural areas, the EU will not be able to ensure the continued existence of prosperous agricultural holdings on a human scale, face environmental and public health related challenges, develop vibrant rural areas and strengthen cohesion within the European Union.”

The draft opinion also advocates refocusing the EU’s agricultural trade policy towards exporting products with high added value, thereby enhancing regions, and distributing profit margins more fairly between those operating supply chains, from producers to distributers.

“We are in favour of capping and modulating direct payments per agricultural worker, in order to legitimise public funding and develop farms on a human scale that can provide employment. We need more support for young farmers and organic farmers. Customers prefer short supply chains and we need to support small scale processing of local products,” said Mr Cros.