The debate on the Treaty of Lisbon is about to start in the UK. It will be mainly focused on fears of loss of British 'sovereignty' and doubtless very little will be said about the CAP, other than as an example of what is wrong with the EU.
However, if ratified, the Treaty will have some profound effects on CAP decision-making. The decision-making process is likely to become more complex and longer (as if it wasn't already) which is why there is a rush to get dossiers completed by the end of the year. The Farm Council will no longer be able to ignore what the Parliament says as they effectively can at the moment.
The Parliament has been hardly in the vanguard of progressive thinking about the CAP and has got itself into a real muddle over pesticides policy, taking decisions that work against its own intentions. However, rather than being a spokesperson for farm interests, the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee will have to move into the political mainstream while other committees such as Trade and Budget will have to keep a closer eye on what it is up to.
Admittedly, some progress has been made under the former chairmanship of Joseph Daul and now Neil Parrish (representing South-West England). The recent wine reform agreement reflected what MEPs had advocated on grubbing up.
The new Treaty does make a clearer distinction between 'delegated acts', i.e., real legislation and 'implementing rules'. The Commission is understood to have suggested that there may have to be revisions to the existing comitology rules in order to clarify when decisions can pass to the Management Committee and when they stay in Council.
Perhaps most interesting of all the Treaty will bring about a reduction in the number of Commissioners from 27 to 15 by 2014. Coincident with what is hoped to be a radical reform of the CAP, the Agriculture and Rural Development post could disappear. If it was merged with say, environment, this would embed a new approach to agricultural issues.
6 comments:
As the CAP makes up such a large part of the EU budget, it needs to be brought to the attention of every citizen with the Lisbon Treaty.
It is time to end having a commissioner for agriculture. We need to have a commissioner for Science & Technology.
The EU will advance through technology and science.
The CAP restricts food production within Europe and blocks FAIR trade with poor nations.
I would like to know whether it is actually possible to eradicate the programme completely. I believe farmers will be against its eradication because it contributes towards a substantial portion of farmers' profits. At the same time, it is such an unequal system that I am sure small farmers at the low end are frustrated and want fairness?
How do we go about eliminating the CAP completely?
Cheers.
I wish I had the answer to Vinay's point. But part of it is raising awareness of these issues and the negative consequences of subsidies to production. Small farmers have less political clout than big ones.
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