First Package of Delegated Acts for Ag Policy Reform Criticized
EU - Copa-Cogeca has criticised the first package of delegated acts for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform approved by the EU Commission this week, warning it will make it difficult for farmers to implement.Copa-Cogeca Secretary General Pekka Pesonen stressed: "We pressed hard for a timely, positive deal on the CAP reform last summer. And after three years of negotiations, the agreement made last year by EU Ministers, MEPs and Commission is a solution we can live with.
"European farmers are motivated in making the new CAP work, and producing food in a sustainable way, without endangering our production capacity. They are prepared to do the best they can with the greening measures according to the opportunities available to them, in line with their specific conditions and their environment. We also need timely decisions on implementation of the reform, to make it operational on 1 January 2015".
He continued "But now the Commission in the delegated acts is going beyond that compromise package agreed last summer. In particular, we have serious concerns about implementation of the ecological focus area under reform.
"Tough rules on planting nitrogen fixing crops and stringent limitations on cultivation methods applied on ecological focus areas will force farmers to opt to set aside land from production. This would be against the EU Heads of State conclusions where greening must not take agricultural land out of production. The EU is undermining its own food security needs by cutting its food production capacity".
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