Welcome drop in CAP errors

Figures from the European Commission’s Court of Auditors show errors in the direct payments part of the CAP were reduced last year – the final year of the old system before the Ciolos reforms came into place.

The error rate was 2.9% which was the lowest since 2010.

In the preceding years the rate was around 3.5%. However there were bigger problems with rural development, where the error rate was 6.2%.

The Court of Auditors has made clear in the past that this was unacceptable.

One reason for the reduction in the error rate for pillar one payments is that a tough line on land parcel identification problems, with accompanying fines, delivered a higher level of compliance.

A report by the European Environmental Bureau has claimed greening will deliver little for the environment.

It says this is because many member states have gone for the lightest touch possible implementation of the regulation.

The report, however, acknowledges that permanent pasture, which excluded farmers from greening, does appear to bring benefits.

Meanwhile the architect of greening, Dacian Ciolos, seems set to become Romanian prime minister.

This is because he is seen as someone acceptable to both sides in a political disagreement.