EU Launches CAP Debate

Written by Mark O'Brien

The EU agriculture commissioner, Dacian Ciolos, has launched a public debate on the future of the CAP. Speaking at the European Parliament today, Mr Ciolos said that the CAP was not just for experts but for all Europeans. The goal of the public debate is to gather opinions from across EU society, via a new CAP debate website: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture

An independent report on the debates findings will be presented at a conference in July with the likelihood that the results of the debate will feed into the upcoming Communication on the Future of the CAP post 2013 which is due at the end of the year.

Following the launch the commissioner explained that a reform is needed as the EU continues to grow and that we cannot ignore the differences between member states, regions and farming systems across the EU. The commissioner added that the criteria on which direct payments are based would have to be reviewed and that the direct payments in future need to achieve new European objectives.

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