Prospects are positive for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to remain an adequately financed strong policy after 2020. EU Ministers of Agriculture approved presidency conclusions with regard to the future orientation of the CAP in Brussels. The document successfully includes the key elements of the V4 Declaration adopted in Budapest in January. The decision reached by the Ministers of Agriculture provides a clear direction for the Commission when elaborating CAP legislative proposals to be published by the end of May – emphasized Sándor Fazekas, Minister of Agriculture after the Council meeting held in Brussels on 19 March.
Ever since the appearance of the Commission Communication on the CAP after 2020 (Communication on "The Future of Food and Farming") Hungary was of the opinion that the Council should adopt a powerful standpoint with regard to its content, otherwise the European Commission’s will may prevail.
Minister Fazekas stressed that the so-called presidency conclusions - adopted with the support of 23 Member States - reflect a strong position of the Council of Agricultural Ministers. The conclusions include references to the adequate budge after 2020 besides the ambitious goals of the CAP.
From the perspective of the future of Hungarian agriculture it has considerable importance that Member States supported the continuation of the Single Area Payment Scheme (SAPS). In the course of the preparatory phase of the 2013 CAP reform, Hungary and the countries of the Central-European region successfully resisted the efforts towards the abolishment of the SAPS system. This type of support has proved to be successful and accepted to such an extent that today most Western-European countries using other systems of basic support would rather switch to SAPS, added the Minister of Agriculture.
Fazekas Sándor underlined that an overwhelming majority of EU ministers agreed on the fact that voluntary coupled support should be maintained after 2020. This being the only element among direct supports that helps actual production indeed, and maintaining competitiveness. As far as Hungarian farmers are concerned it is highly important that the support of sensitive, labour-intensive branches, like animal husbandry for example can be achieved through such supports – said the head of the Ministry of Agriculture.
In relation to rural development - reflecting Hungary’s request - the text specifically stresses the importance of agricultural investments and non-refundable supports. Sándor Fazekas drew attention to the CAP common declaration signed by the Visegrád countries and Croatia in Budapest at the end of January. That was the first group of countries that made common proposals regarding the post-2020 CAP elements, and these now appear in the document adopted by 23 Member States, underlined Sándor Fazekas.
The European Commission will publish the legislative proposals defining the detailed post-2020 rules of CAP on the 29th of May, and in the process of elaborating such proposals it will take into consideration the content of the adopted Council conclusions.
