Every European Union (EU) member state, including Ireland, has “a lot of freedom” and “wriggle room” to decide what is necessary to adapt in their CAP strategic plans, according to European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski. He described how the European Commission is “open to that”.
Commissioner Wojciechowski said that this adaption can be made following formal feedback from the European Commission on the CAP plans.
He confirmed that the Commission's first observations will be provided by the end of March and that these will then be made available to the public.
The Commissioner said this will apply to the 19 members states who had their CAP plans submitted before the 31 December 2021 deadline.
“There’s no single plan that we can accept here and now that there’ll be no need for any improvement [in] at all,” he said.
The Commissioner was speaking at the monthly meeting of the European Agriculture and Fisheries Council on Monday. Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue was also present.
Strategic
Describing the strategic importance of the CAP strategic plan for all member states, Commissioner Wojciechowski said: “Agriculture has become a crucial security policy. Agriculture has become strategic; it’s not just a matter of growing things, we also need to look at energy and make sure that we have sufficient agricultural production."
He said that these objectives were “always our task”, warned that they apply “now more than ever” and reminded member states that they need to be taken “into consideration” in the strategic plans.
Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski and Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue. / European Union
Commissioner Wojciechowski noted that the “discussion in public opinion keeps raising the issue of whether [or not] the strategic objectives of Farm to Fork and the Green Deal” should be changed.
The Commissioner claimed that within these strategies there are “provisions about monitoring food security and food supply”, as well as an “obligation to react if necessary”.
Commissioner Wojciechowski continued: “We mustn’t lose sight of how important agriculture is in this context. Not just for [Europe], but also for the middle east and for north Africa.
"Russia has taken itself out of the international game and that has consequences that we need to keep in mind.”
No reason to go astray
The Commissioner also said “there’s no reason to go astray from implementing” the strategic objectives of Farm to Fork and the Green Deal “because they work in such a way that they strengthen our agriculture short supply chains”.
He said: “These are measures which would directly improve food security. We already have this in the strategic plans and we must strengthen it further. It strengthens the resilience of European farming, which is why it is in the strategic plans in the first place.
“I think balanced agricultural development and resilience have got to be the main tools for implementing our main objectives of food security.”
Timely approval
Also speaking at the meeting, Minister McConalogue called for “timely approval” of the CAP plans to “give our farmers the clear signals they need so that they will be ready to implement the new agricultural policy”.
He said: “Timely approval is essential not just to allow us to intensify and further focus our engagement with farmers and other stakeholders so that they can adjust to the new requirements, but also to put in place the administrative arrangements that will deliver on those plans.”
Flexibilities
Minister McConalogue said that “we must also acknowledge that our [CAP] plans were prepared in different circumstances”, prior to the war in Ukraine and the resulting impact on food security.
While he said that the “overall objectives of the CAP” remain “equally valid today”, the Minister noted that the war may “require the introduction of short-term measures using all existing instruments as well as the introduction of new instruments and flexibilities” within the plan.
He said the “approval process needs to be able to cope with any such changes”.
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Every European Union (EU) member state, including Ireland, has “a lot of freedom” and “wriggle room” to decide what is necessary to adapt in their CAP strategic plans, according to European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski. He described how the European Commission is “open to that”.
Commissioner Wojciechowski said that this adaption can be made following formal feedback from the European Commission on the CAP plans.
He confirmed that the Commission's first observations will be provided by the end of March and that these will then be made available to the public.
The Commissioner said this will apply to the 19 members states who had their CAP plans submitted before the 31 December 2021 deadline.
“There’s no single plan that we can accept here and now that there’ll be no need for any improvement [in] at all,” he said.
The Commissioner was speaking at the monthly meeting of the European Agriculture and Fisheries Council on Monday. Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue was also present.
Strategic
Describing the strategic importance of the CAP strategic plan for all member states, Commissioner Wojciechowski said: “Agriculture has become a crucial security policy. Agriculture has become strategic; it’s not just a matter of growing things, we also need to look at energy and make sure that we have sufficient agricultural production."
He said that these objectives were “always our task”, warned that they apply “now more than ever” and reminded member states that they need to be taken “into consideration” in the strategic plans.
Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski and Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue. / European Union
Commissioner Wojciechowski noted that the “discussion in public opinion keeps raising the issue of whether [or not] the strategic objectives of Farm to Fork and the Green Deal” should be changed.
The Commissioner claimed that within these strategies there are “provisions about monitoring food security and food supply”, as well as an “obligation to react if necessary”.
Commissioner Wojciechowski continued: “We mustn’t lose sight of how important agriculture is in this context. Not just for [Europe], but also for the middle east and for north Africa.
"Russia has taken itself out of the international game and that has consequences that we need to keep in mind.”
No reason to go astray
The Commissioner also said “there’s no reason to go astray from implementing” the strategic objectives of Farm to Fork and the Green Deal “because they work in such a way that they strengthen our agriculture short supply chains”.
He said: “These are measures which would directly improve food security. We already have this in the strategic plans and we must strengthen it further. It strengthens the resilience of European farming, which is why it is in the strategic plans in the first place.
“I think balanced agricultural development and resilience have got to be the main tools for implementing our main objectives of food security.”
Timely approval
Also speaking at the meeting, Minister McConalogue called for “timely approval” of the CAP plans to “give our farmers the clear signals they need so that they will be ready to implement the new agricultural policy”.
He said: “Timely approval is essential not just to allow us to intensify and further focus our engagement with farmers and other stakeholders so that they can adjust to the new requirements, but also to put in place the administrative arrangements that will deliver on those plans.”
Flexibilities
Minister McConalogue said that “we must also acknowledge that our [CAP] plans were prepared in different circumstances”, prior to the war in Ukraine and the resulting impact on food security.
While he said that the “overall objectives of the CAP” remain “equally valid today”, the Minister noted that the war may “require the introduction of short-term measures using all existing instruments as well as the introduction of new instruments and flexibilities” within the plan.
He said the “approval process needs to be able to cope with any such changes”.
Read more
Farm to Fork review not on the table as Commission considers food security
Commissioner ‘not adverse’ to fodder and feed scheme proposals – MEP
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