Brussels (AFP)

MEPs and EU member states will meet again in June after their failure to reach an agreement on the new CAP, stumbling over environmental rules intended to "green" European agriculture without weakening farmers' incomes.

After three days of tough negotiations, "a number of crucial issues remain unresolved. It has been decided to postpone the discussions until the next meeting of Agriculture ministers in June," the Council (body representing the States).

One meeting is scheduled for mid-June, the other at the end of June.

A new proposal from European Agriculture Ministers, meeting Wednesday and Thursday in Brussels, was deemed by MEPs still too far removed from their environmental and social demands.

The Twenty-Seven had approved in October 2020 the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, with a budget of 387 billion euros for seven years, including 270 billion in direct aid to farmers, but they must imperatively come to an agreement with Parliament European.

Key file: "eco-regimes", bonuses granted to farmers participating in demanding environmental programs.

# photo1

MEPs initially demanded that they represent at least 30% of direct payments to farmers.

States have said they are ready to accept a 25% threshold but blockages remain over the possible transition period to put it in place.

The ministers also propose to reallocate unused funds on this percentage, above a minimum level of 18% - to the chagrin of parliamentarians, who fear that this mechanism will lead to less endowment of eco-regimes.

- "Radicalization"-

States also want to remain free to define the content of eco-regimes, but MEPs are calling for a strict framework and the alignment of national policies with the climate objectives of the Green Deal and the EU's environmental strategies (objectives of organic crops, reduction of pesticides, biodiversity ...).

This failure "harms European institutional balances, farmers and the environment", regretted to the press Norbert Lins (EPP, right), Parliament negotiator.

His green colleague Martin Häusling denounces a "radicalization of the position" of the ministers.

# photo2

On eco-regimes, "we cannot give the impression that there is no constraint in the first years (...) And the ministers only worry about funds allocated to eco-diets and not used, without imagining for a moment that they could prove insufficient in the face of strong demand from farmers ", annoys MEP Peter Jahr.

For Pascal Canfin (Renew, Liberals), chairman of the Environment committee in Parliament, the Council "behaves as if the Green Pact did not exist".

For their part, the Twenty-Seven put forward their "pragmatism": "We want to conclude an agreement, but not at any price", explained Friday the Portuguese Minister Maria do Céu Antunes, who negotiates on behalf of the States .

"Farmers should not be buried in bureaucracy (...) We want to reward environmental practices, but it must be financially feasible," warned German Minister Julia Klöckner.

- "Aboveground" -

States also refuse to make subsidies to farmers conditional on compliance with social standards, as demanded by social democratic MEPs.

# photo3

Other issues are debated: amount and management of the crisis reserve, targeting of subsidies according to the size of farms with a redistribution mechanism for the benefit of small farmers ...

"Everyone must show responsibility, without economic sustainability (guarantee of farmers' income), no environmental and climatic sustainability", pleaded Anne Sander, EPP rapporteur in Parliament.

Environmental organizations are already denouncing the "greenwashing" of a new CAP that is not demanding enough.

"The week ended in a pile-up. Agriculture ministers are above ground, ignoring science and society. It is time to invite environment ministers to the table," commented Celia Nyssens of the European Environment Bureau (EEB).

© 2021 AFP