The future shape of the EU Common Agricultural Policy is at stake in Brno

Throughout the whole meeting of the informal Council in Brno, the Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries will engage in discussions of the future shape of the simplified system of direct payments and a more even distribution that would result in a fairer competitive environment on the single market.

“The Common Agricultural Policy must continue to adapt to the changing conditions and we are currently addressing the issue of its shape after 2013,” says Agriculture Minister Jakub Šebesta. “2013 is closer than it seems and the Czech Presidency expects that the discussions of the Ministers at the informal Council will result in useful suggestions that will govern the future shape of the Common Agricultural Policy; not only regarding direct payments, the new system of which has been chosen as a priority of the Presidency and as a topic of the ministerial meeting.”

The topics of the ministerial meeting, i.e. particularly the future shape of the direct payments after 2013, reflects the long-term efforts of the Czech Republic as a new Member State and the Czech agriculture diplomats to create a more efficient Common Agricultural Policy. The topic is highly relevant also in the context of the current economic crisis.

“The current economic crisis shows that farmers are forced to face many challenges and the Common Agricultural Policy should help them to respond to them,” explains First Deputy Minister Ivo Hlaváč. “The future Common Agricultural Policy must be sufficiently effective be able to face new challenges, such as the increasing volatility of markets and climate change.” According to Ivo Hlaváč the Common Agricultural Policy should ensure a prospective of sustainable development of rural areas in the EU.

“In the light of the crisis the EU has a unique opportunity for a concrete and open discussion leading to a future Common Agricultural Policy that will enhance the global competitiveness of European agriculture and focus on long-term diversification and prevention of risks; it will also bring young entrepreneurs into the field of agriculture,” says Agriculture Minister Jakub Šebesta.

Although the ministerial meeting will address the system of direct payments and not financial volumes, the results of the ministerial discussions are certain to find application when the EU addresses its new financial perspectives for 2014 – 2020.