European Parliament calls for no renationalisation of CAP welcome news

Reacting to the vote, Copa and Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen said “We believe that some elements of the Parliament’s report by MEP Herbert Dorfmann go in the right direction. The EU’s farming policy needs to be significantly simplified but must remain a common policy with a proper budget to deliver its objectives”, he said.
 
In the resolution, MEPs agree with the EU Commission that Member States should be allowed to adapt the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to their needs. But, like Copa and Cogeca, they reject any renationalization of the CAP, warning that it could distort competition in the Single Market. They insisted that the future CAP must foster innovation, research, smart farming and enable producers to go on providing quality food supplies to consumers. They also want to at least maintain the CAP budget at current levels and ensure that direct payments continue to be fully financed from the EU budget, as advocated by Copa and Cogeca. Mandatory capping cannot be accepted but it is necessary to continue to harmonise the level of direct payments between Member States in the EU. 
 
Ahead of the release of the Commission proposal on the Future of Food and Farming on Friday, Copa and Cogeca urge the Commission to ensure a strong, properly funded CAP in the future that delivers a real simplification of rules so that farmers can do what they do best: provide quality food whilst keeping rural areas vibrant.