The official, granted anonymity to speak candidly, disputed that the legislation compromised the credibility of the Green Deal, arguing that it makes the system for implementing the CAP’s green standards more feasible, realistic and focused on incentives.
Disaster relief
In the short run, the Commission wants to make it easier for EU governments to hand out cash to support farmers hit by climate impacts, such as flooding and drought.
The proposal foresees the creation of two new funds and would authorize direct payments to “enable the most affected farmers to be compensated rapidly.” National authorities should also set a “higher rate of compensation” for farmers who are covered by insurance or other risk management tools, according to the document.
The system of conditionality, which restricts how national authorities can disburse CAP funding contributing to the protection of nature, the environment and climate, “should not apply to complementary payments to farmers following natural disasters, adverse climatic events or catastrophic events under direct payments,” the document adds.
The simplification follows an 18-month policy process that von der Leyen initiated by holding a Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture that came up with an extensive catalog of policy recommendations. These were then poured into Hansen’s own Vision for Agriculture and Food in February.
The simplification measures respond to some recommendations from the strategic dialogue, notably on the need to promote organic farming. But they appear to clash with others, such as more action to “facilitate the adaptation of agriculture to changing climatic and environmental conditions, … practices to advance towards water-resilient and less resource intensive farming.”