CAP reform: less bureaucracy for farmers

The Horizontal Regulation, part of the future agriculture policy covering the regulation for administration and controls, will be voted on today in the European Parliament’s Agricultural Committee. French MEP Michel Dantin, EPP Group Spokesman, endorses the farmer-friendly approach, including the lightening of administrative burdens.

"I am proud that during the negotiation we promoted a paradigm shift in favour of a more advisory and supportive approach towards farmers, and obtained the establishment of early warning mechanisms in case of non-compliance as well as the right for any farmers making a first-time mistake not to be sanctioned.”

“We pushed for the lightening of administrative burdens for farmers and national administrations and to end on-the-spot national controls by the European Commission”, said Dantin.

"We also advocated for the maintenance of common EU rules on controls and penalties to promote the equal treatment of farmers in Europe and the introduction of a realistic performance framework into the Common Agricultural Policy.

"Finally, in line with our work in the Single Common Market Organisation Regulation, the EPP Group has defended the establishment of a well-funded and functioning EU agricultural crisis management reserve to enable the European Union to intervene on the market in times of crisis", he concluded.