CAP reform agreed in European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee

Posted on 25/01/2013

The European Parliament agriculture committee has voted this week on four draft reports on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.

Eurogroup welcomes the fact that the improvement of animal welfare has been included in the priorities of rural development and in the objectives of investment support. We also welcome the support of the committee to extend the period for granting animal welfare payments up to 7 years as compared to 1 year in the Commission proposal. Finally we are pleased that the animal welfare payment is explicitely included among the measures which contribute to the competitiveness and viability of EU farms.

Eurogroup is however disappointed that the Committee still sees cross-compliance as burdensome and not as a tool to improve compliance with animal welfare rules. They have consequently not supported the inclusion of the laying hens and broilers directive among the requirements.

The Committee also rejected the deletion of the possibility to grant export refunds. This means that in future subsidies will continue to be paid to export live pure-bred breeding cattle to third countries.

The Agriculture Committee's negotiating position must be agreed by the European Parliament as a whole before negotiations can start with member states on the final reformed farm policy. The plenary vote is provisionally scheduled for March plenary session (11-14 March).