On December 14th, 2011, the Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds examined the legislative package of the European Commission for the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy 2014-2020 of the European Union and Bulgaria’s position on it, which were presented by Mrs. Svetlana Boyanova, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food.
In the hearing framework, the following important accents and messages were outdrawn and would be defended by Bulgaria in the CAP legislative package negotiation process.
• CEAOEF appreciates maintaining the two-pillar structure of CAP and applying a balanced approach in the resource distribution between the two pillars;
• We welcome the keeping of direct payments and ensuring a steady level of financing of the CAP;
• Creating a common competition base by eliminating differences in direct payment levels between Member states and giving an opportunity for Bulgaria’s payments to reach the full amount of national caps in 2014, instead of 2016;
• Supporting incomes of intensive sectors and farming through giving a percentage of national direct payments cap to payments, associated with production;
• We welcome the introduction of a greening component in regard to direct payments. Considering the different environmental and natural conditions in different EU regions, we realize the need to ensure greater flexibility when establishing environmental measures;
• We support a strategic approach in regard to CAP Pillar II – defining six specific priorities for agricultural regions development. That would contribute to “Europe 2020” strategy fulfillment by stimulating agricultural regions steady development on the whole EU territory in a manner that supplements the other CAP instruments, Cohesion Policy and Common Fisheries Policy;
• We encourage applying a flexible approach when defining the scope of the measures and agricultural regions development program beneficiaries, as well as working out topical subprograms aimed at satisfying specific needs.
CEAOEF’s Chairwoman, Ms. Monika Panayotova stressed on the Bulgarian Parliament’s intensified interest on that matter by marking that on November 23rd, 2011, the CAP reform was also discussed in the Agriculture and Forests Committee (AFC). As a result of the discussion with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food representatives and the AFC’s expressed position on the CAP legislative package, the CEAOEF members supported the European Commission’s CAP reform proposal as a main instrument for its transformation into a strategic policy for food security, environment and territorial balance.
The Members of Parliament appreciated the greater possibilities which that CAP reform establishes for improving the competitiveness of agricultural producers, increasing the role of innovations, making agriculture “greener”, as well as the measures for young farmers and small farms. Simultaneously, in unison with the national interest, CEAOEF outlined some considerations and recommendations regarding CAP’s two pillars which were included in the Bulgarian parliament’s position on CAP reform.
Mrs. Panayotova marked that in framework of the Bulgarian parliament’s participation in subsidiary check of EU legislative proposals, established by the Lisbon Treaty, the National Assembly expresses a positive position in regard to the compliance of the CAP reform legislative package with the subsidiary principle. The Bulgarian Parliament’s specific considerations and recommendations on the CAP reform, expressed in the position, were sent to the European institutions in the context of the informal political dialogue.
The CEAOEF’s report and 2014-2020 CAP reform position could be found at:
http://parliament.bg/pub/cW/20111216054232statement_CAP.pdf