CAP Reform Officially Adopted

The entire CAP Reform package was finally rubber stamped in December by the EU Agricultural and Fisheries Council of Ministers marking a conclusion to the legislative process which has taken 3 years of negotiating. The four legal texts that have always been in the negotiations were all included; Direct Payments (Pillar 1), Rural Development Regulation (Pillar 2), Single Common Market Organisation and the Transitional Regulations.  One further text, the ‘transitional regulation for the year 2014’ was also adopted. This is the text to bridge the gap between the existing legal framework and the elements of the reform which will apply only from 2015.

At the same time as the legal texts were being endorsed, Commissioner Cioloş pointed out the Implementing Regulation texts, the detailed technical rules linked to implementing the policies on the ground should be adopted by the beginning of March. However, after adoption, the texts will still need translating before Commission adoption and even then must avoid objections from the European Parliament and Council.