MEPs want a fair, competitive and sustainable EU agricultural policy after 2020. They stress the importance of common rules and a budget with sufficient means.

On 30 May,  MEPs adopted an own-initiative report outlining how Parliament wants  the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to be modernised. They stressed the importance of maintaining an integrated, EU-level policy and the current level of funding in order to ensure food security and quality, secure farmers’ incomes and tackle climate change.

Common EU-wide framework

MEPs welcomed the European Commission’s proposal, in its paper on the Future of Food and Farming published last November, to simplify and better target support and allow EU countries to adapt the CAP to their needs.

However, they reject any renationalisation of the CAP because it could distort competition and have a negative impact on consumers.  MEPs want to ensure the same high quality standards are respected across the EU.

Sufficient funding needed

MEPs also rejected a proposed cut in funding for the farm sector. Any cuts to the budget would hurt competitiveness, endanger farm incomes and stifle innovation, according to the report. Report author Herbert Dorfmann, an Italian member of the EPP group, said farmers should not be the ones to pay for any decrease of the EU budget due to Brexit.

The main thing to consider is what kind of farming is wanted in Europe, Dorfmann said. “I personally think we should have farms that are family-based, sustainable, innovative, and which are attractive for young people.”

Background

The report is a response to the Commission’s paper and comes ahead of its proposals on reforming the CAP, which are expected on 1 June.

The reform of the CAP is closely linked to the EU’s next long-term budget. In a separate resolution on the long-term budget adopted by the plenary on Wednesday, MEPs criticised the Commission’s plans to cut funding for the CAP and for cohesion policy, which is about support for poorer regions in the EU.