Promoting a more balanced distribution of direct payments and better targeting them to farm families are among the priorities for the new European Agriculture Commissioner.
Janusz Wojciechowski from Poland is set to take over the role from Ireland’s Phil Hogan. It comes at a time when the EU will decide its farm policy for the next seven years.
The Commission published its proposals for the new CAP in June 2018. As part of a 15-page document outlining his priorities to the European Parliament, Wojciechowski expressed support for measures proposed to redistribute of CAP funds.
Redistribution
These include:
A minimum number of hectares farmers should have to access direct support to ensure funds were targeted to viable farms.The compulsory establishment of a tool known as the complementary redistributive income support for sustainability (CRISS), which will move CAP money from high to low payments. The capping of payments.Setting a maximum value for entitlements (currently €700/ha in Ireland as of 2019).Ensuring a minimum level of convergence by 2026 (proposal of 75% from the Commission and 100% from the EU Parliament).Budget
On the funding for CAP, Wojciechowski said he believed the Commission proposal for a 3.9% cut in direct payments and 15% cut in rural development funding was a “reasonable and balanced approach”.
He said the cuts had to be seen in the broader context of new EU priorities and the loss of the UK as a net payer to the EU budget.
Increasing farmer participation in producer groups, providing further supports for women and young farmers, and continuing to drive the EU trade policy were all high on Wojciechowski's list of priorities.
Wojciechowski also has a very strong record on animal welfare, having penned a number of reports on the subject.
Environment
He indicated that delivery on climate and environment objectives would be a central part of his tenure.
“When it comes to the environment, my experience is that good farmers do not need to be told how to care for their land or for their animals. That is what they do every day,” he said.
He believed that rather than laying down rules on farming practises at EU levels, the CAP should focus on getting value for money.
He said farmers had to be incentivised to adopt sustainable practises and supported the introduction of eco-schemes in place of greening.
Wojciechowski gave an indication of what farmers could be required to do to secure these supports: “I want to make sure farmers can receive support to apply better crop rotations and appropriate tillage management, to bind more carbon into the soil – increasing the carbon stock capacity of arable land.“
Under an eco-scheme, farmers could be paid to to leave an extra portion of land out of production, turning it into a biodiversity haven. Farmers could then receive compensation under a rural development scheme to cut their use of pesticides.
Read more
Climate action will give farmers new income opportunities - Hogan
Polish commissioner will replace Hogan in agriculture
Promoting a more balanced distribution of direct payments and better targeting them to farm families are among the priorities for the new European Agriculture Commissioner.
Janusz Wojciechowski from Poland is set to take over the role from Ireland’s Phil Hogan. It comes at a time when the EU will decide its farm policy for the next seven years.
The Commission published its proposals for the new CAP in June 2018. As part of a 15-page document outlining his priorities to the European Parliament, Wojciechowski expressed support for measures proposed to redistribute of CAP funds.
Redistribution
These include:
A minimum number of hectares farmers should have to access direct support to ensure funds were targeted to viable farms.The compulsory establishment of a tool known as the complementary redistributive income support for sustainability (CRISS), which will move CAP money from high to low payments. The capping of payments.Setting a maximum value for entitlements (currently €700/ha in Ireland as of 2019).Ensuring a minimum level of convergence by 2026 (proposal of 75% from the Commission and 100% from the EU Parliament).Budget
On the funding for CAP, Wojciechowski said he believed the Commission proposal for a 3.9% cut in direct payments and 15% cut in rural development funding was a “reasonable and balanced approach”.
He said the cuts had to be seen in the broader context of new EU priorities and the loss of the UK as a net payer to the EU budget.
Increasing farmer participation in producer groups, providing further supports for women and young farmers, and continuing to drive the EU trade policy were all high on Wojciechowski's list of priorities.
Wojciechowski also has a very strong record on animal welfare, having penned a number of reports on the subject.
Environment
He indicated that delivery on climate and environment objectives would be a central part of his tenure.
“When it comes to the environment, my experience is that good farmers do not need to be told how to care for their land or for their animals. That is what they do every day,” he said.
He believed that rather than laying down rules on farming practises at EU levels, the CAP should focus on getting value for money.
He said farmers had to be incentivised to adopt sustainable practises and supported the introduction of eco-schemes in place of greening.
Wojciechowski gave an indication of what farmers could be required to do to secure these supports: “I want to make sure farmers can receive support to apply better crop rotations and appropriate tillage management, to bind more carbon into the soil – increasing the carbon stock capacity of arable land.“
Under an eco-scheme, farmers could be paid to to leave an extra portion of land out of production, turning it into a biodiversity haven. Farmers could then receive compensation under a rural development scheme to cut their use of pesticides.
Read more
Climate action will give farmers new income opportunities - Hogan
Polish commissioner will replace Hogan in agriculture
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: