CAP simplification 'lacks ambition', farmers warn

CAP simplification was high on the agenda at Commission meetings on Rural Development held in Brussels recently.

Agricultural representatives from across the EU welcomed the widespread agreement that a simpler CAP would be beneficial.

Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan announced that he would take immediate action by changing non-legislative Commission guidance on the new CAP to apply for the 2015 claim. He also unveiled plans to bring forward a package of proposed changes to secondary legislation after the summer break for future years’ claims.

The Commission indicated that priority should be given to areas which are of direct concern to farmers and where the greatest benefits of reduced administrative burden can be realised. NFU Cymru, through the representative body in Europe, COPA-COGECA, has expressed its concern at the differentiated requirements and conditions that exist between Member States together with the ‘gold plating’ of requirements. Both result in high levels of administrative errors for farmers and have contributed to the simplification agenda by putting forward a total of 48 proposals.

Delegates learned that Commission moves to simplify CAP will apply across both Pillars. In terms of the second Pillar, plans are afoot to screen the Rural Development Programmes, following approval, to identify where Member States have added complexity at a national level.

NFU Cymru Environment/Rural Affairs Advisor, Rachel Lewis-Davies, who attended on behalf of Welsh farmers, said, “The Wales Rural Development Programme represents a billion pound opportunity to support our vision of a productive, profitable and progressive agricultural industry in Wales.

“Many of the measures proposed in the Programme have the potential to make a valuable contribution to this agenda, however, we see complexity added by Welsh Government at the implementation stage, which goes beyond European requirements. This represents significant barriers to uptake, adds cost and ultimately puts farmers in Wales at a competitive disadvantage.”

Rachel concluded, “NFU Cymru, therefore, welcomes the fact that the Commission will look at the Rural Development Programmes of each Member State to see where complications have been added at the national level. We would also welcome the opportunity to work with Welsh Government on the development and implementation of RDP schemes so that they offer benefits to farmers and the economy of Wales as a whole.”

Gail Soutar, NFU chief economics and international affairs adviser, said: “There is an urgent need to simplify the CAP rules. The efforts of the Commissioner and the member states is to be welcomed and the concrete measures presented by Commissioner Hogan to apply for the 2015 claim will provide some limited flexibility for farmers. These include providing greater clarity on EFA mapping requirements and the position EU auditors will take in assessing compliance. However the overall level of clear ambition falls short of our expectations with respect to implementation in the first year.

“Delays in decision making, failure to issue guidance in a timely manner, the development of an entirely new application process that has proven not to be fit for purpose in England, as well as a failure to communicate the impact of non-compliance, leave farmers in an incredibly difficult and uncertain predicament. It is vital that the Commission, RPA inspectors and auditors are aware, that this situation was not of the farmers’ making. The NFU continues to call for specific changes to the rules to foresee greater tolerances in cases where farmers are close to fulfilling the new requirements, but unfortunately fall short.

“We look to the Commission to translate the simplification initiative into meaningful action that will genuinely benefit farmers on the ground and will continue to work closely through our Brussels office to understand how the changes to EU Commission guidance documents will apply for this year’s claim.”