EU member states should make a continuous effort to “simplify and optimise” the way CAP rules are rolled out, says European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski.

The EU agriculture chief moved to reassure member states that the Commission will “apply the principle of simplification when providing guidance interpretations and further procedures” in relation to CAP.

Wojciechowski was speaking at a meeting of EU agriculture ministers last week, responding to their calls for greater flexibility in the roll-out of their CAP strategic plans.

He said the Commission will take a flexible view of necessary changes to CAP strategic plans, based off continuous dialogue with farmers.

Communication

The commissioner also urged member states to communicate with the beneficiaries of CAP payments - farmers - suggesting that such communication needs to be a “two-way street”.

“We must listen carefully to farmers about how the new changes are affecting their work.

“The final factor that can improve implementation [of the new CAP] is learning from each other,” he said.

Burden

Agriculture ministers at last week’s meeting in Luxembourg made it clear that the introduction of their CAP strategic plans has led to an increased administrative burden, where there has been and continues to be a rush to get all schemes and measures in place.

With this in mind, some agriculture ministers warned that the consideration of the next CAP - for 2028 onwards - should start soon, making sure that the next round of plans are based on a “strategic view”.

In this future CAP planning, EU farm ministers said the war in Ukraine, the challenges to global food security and affordability, access to fertilisers, energy prices and the need to adapt to increasingly difficult weather and climatic conditions should all be taken into account.

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