Representatives of the three European institutions will try on Thursday and Friday in Brussels during a new āsuper-trilogueā to finally reach an agreement on the reform of the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
If negotiators from the European Parliament, European Commission, and the 27 ministers agree, a deal could still be ratified during the EU ministersā meeting held next Monday and Tuesday in Luxembourg.
If no agreement is reached, negotiations on the CAP renewal will be postponed by Portugal to the Slovenian EU Presidency in the second half of the year. This would result in further delays.
Negotiations last May ended with accusations between the Council (member states), the European Parliament, and even the European Commission due to the failure to seal a reform agreement.
Although most of the CAP has already been agreed upon, significant disagreements remainā not only about details, components, and exceptions but also about key issues. These continue to cause friction among the negotiators.
The eco-subsidy schemes designed to encourage farmers to take greater account of Environment and Climate in their operations remain the biggest point of contention. Some countries are asking for a two-year trial period and adaptation phase. Farmers who do not meet environmental targets would still receive their subsidies during this time.
Just last week, a report from the European Court of Auditors made clear that agricultural subsidies in recent years have hardly contributed to a cleaner environment or a healthier climate. Both proponents and opponents seize this conclusion to argue for either more or less CAP subsidies.
Some say it shows that farmers have received a lot of EU subsidies but have done little for Climate and Environment with them. Others argue that those subsidies were never intended for that purpose, and that the EU funds were merely āincome supportā for farmers. They believe that through the Green Deal, environmental targets should now be established in agriculture.