Less bureaucracy and controls, more simplification: the CAP changes and caters to farmers

Help for farmers, who are going through a period of crisis, between inflationary pressure and climate effects, to be implemented through an “easing” of bureaucracy and controls, pushing, at the same time, for simplification. The European Council today formally adopted a targeted revision of some basic acts of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), a revision born as a response to the concerns expressed by farmers in recent months (complete with “thunderous” protests around the ‘Europe) and which takes into account the impact of geopolitical developments and extreme weather events. The revision concerns some elements of the regulation on the strategic plans of the CAP and of the regulation on the financing, management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy, focusing on simplification, reduction of administrative burdens and greater flexibility to comply with certain environmental requirements. The aim is to find a balance between the sustainability ambitions contained in the current CAP and to ensure, at the same time, that farmers’ concerns are addressed in an effective and timely manner. The changes will come into force by the end of May 2024.
“The approval of the CAP reform by the EU Education Council is a victory for the Meloni Government – said the Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida in a note – Italy in Europe has adopted a decisive position, presenting a document in February that urged the EU Commission to reconsider ideological policies, disguised as alleged environmentalism, harmful to our primary sector. The reform reduces bureaucracy, increases flexibility and puts agriculture at the center of the European agenda. Through a commitment to training, the fair recognition of work and income, the fight against unfair practices and a vision of sustainability that embraces both the environment, the economy and the social, we are outlining a better future for the agricultural sector . There is still a lot to do, but the trend reversal has occurred and we hope that it will be even more clear in the near future. It was a difficult job – he concluded – also done in a transversal way. I thank the colleagues of the parliamentary groups of all backgrounds with whom we have worked in recent months and their representatives. Inside the national territory the shirt remains that of your team, but outside you wear the blue shirt and on this issue we have managed to obtain good results”.