THE EUROCAMMERA SUPPORTS THE TRANSITION TOWARDS AGRICULTURE “MORE ECOLOGICAL”.

The Agriculture Committee of the European Parliament supported that the 30% of direct payments to farmers will in future go to those who carry out certain ecological practices, one of the main novelties planned in the reform of the CAP.

The deputies thus began a marathon vote to rule for the first time on the four texts that make up the CAP reform, to whom the European Parliament has introduced more than 8.000 amendments.

The parliamentarians supported that the 30% of aid is granted to farmers who practice three environmental measures: crop rotation, the maintenance of a “ecological interest area” of at least 7% of agricultural land and permanent pasture. Many Member States, Spain among them, They consider that this percentage is excessive.

However, The deputies introduced some changes to the proposal, to give more flexibility to farmers, conditioning, for example, crop rotation to the size of the farm.

That way, They asked that plantations of less than 10 hectares are exempt; let it come in 10 and 30 hectares only have to maintain two crops and that only farms with more 30 hectares are required to maintain three crops.

On the other hand, parliamentarians supported the idea of ​​putting a ceiling on the aid received by large farms, which would be located in the 300.000 EUR.

One of the novelties that the new CAP will bring will be the figure of the “active farmer”. This is intended to prevent people who do not have an agricultural holding from benefiting from subsidies., while they will increase to 1.500 euros aid to small producers, for those that Brussels proposed between 500 and 1.000 euros per year.

Regarding young farmers starting or resuming a farm, During the first years they will receive a 25% more help.

The European Commissioner for Agriculture, Dacian Ciolos, appreciated that MEPs have accepted the principles defended by his department in favor of agricultural reform “fairer and ecological”.

The vote of the plenary session of the European Parliament on the agricultural reform is scheduled to take place in the middle of next March, after which negotiations will begin with the Council to try to close an agreement next June.