Just under a year after the reformed Common Agricultural Policy came into effect, the European Commission published the first summary report on the national strategic CAP plans. Although the report does not address the plans of individual countries, it notes that further efforts are needed, including risk management, climate adaptation, and biodiversity. Representatives from many member states welcomed the report at the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA).
The evaluation of the NSPs will be discussed at the monthly EU Agriculture Council (December 10-12) and is separate from the first disbursements. Not only in the Netherlands but also in several other EU countries, disbursements have recently started.
According to Dutch outgoing official Piet Adema, many member states indicated that they encountered obstacles earlier this year. One of the main causes was the timing of EU legislation since the legislation was established late. This created uncertainty and hindered timely preparation of the national strategic plans.
The European Commission noted some points of satisfaction in the evaluation but also acknowledged that many improvements are still necessary. The member states have requested the Commission to be more flexible in assessing their national strategic plans. Adema wrote to the Dutch House of Representatives that he will advocate for improvements in the procedures.
In response to the evaluation, the European Commission recognizes the challenges and promises to revise the procedures to offer member states greater flexibility.