Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-10-19-Speech-2-499"
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"en.20101019.22.2-499"2
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"I am now going to answer five questions, which are grouped together and cover the same theme.
At present, the CAP supports sustainable soil management through direct payments subject to compliance with environmental requirements, especially good agri-environmental practices regarding soil erosion, soil organic matter and soil structure, as well as through specific rural development measures, especially payments for agri-environmental measures which go beyond the basic conditions set out under the Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions.
Furthermore, in order to ensure better soil management in Europe and to help maintain soil organic matter, the Commission tabled a proposal for a soil framework directive in 2006. One of the goals is to identify the causes of erosion and prevent it. This proposal also takes account of the tools that the CAP has to offer to this end.
As regards biodiversity, today, the CAP refers to compliance with environmental requirements, including the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive, the infringement of which results in penalties. These penalties reduce direct aid and cut specific rural development measures, especially payments for the Natura 2000 regions as well as agri-environmental payments.
As regards the CAP post-2013, the Commission is fully aware of the scope of environmental challenges to be met and is currently in the process of studying the different ways of better integrating environmental issues through all the CAP instruments, under the first and second pillars. The impact assessment in order to prepare the legislative proposals for the CAP post-2013 is under way, and a communication broadly outlining the future of the common agricultural policy is scheduled for November 2010. I shall table this communication to the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development on 17 November.
The total amount of direct payments in European Union Member States reflects their agricultural production and the average level of aid over an historical period. Due to the fact that their historical references have been used to determine direct payments, this direct aid is not distributed equally among Member States, among regions or among the various categories of farmers.
The EU-12, that is to say, the 12 most recent EU Members, is in the process of phasing in funding, in other words, progressively implementing direct payments.
In the EU-10, direct payments will reach 100% of European Union level in 2013. As for the last two Member States to have joined, Bulgaria and Romania, who are treated equally, they will begin to progressively implement direct payments in 2016, having started at 25% of these payment levels in 2007.
Nevertheless, all Member States of the EU-12, that is to say, all the new Member States, also have the opportunity to top up EU direct payments with national subsidies within the limits clearly set out by the regulation and the accession treaties.
As prompted by the Council during the common agricultural policy (CAP) health check in 2008 and during the CAP reform in 2003, the Commission is involved in looking at ways of developing the direct payment system, especially regarding the issue of different levels of payment among Member States.
For the post-2013 period, the Commission will study and assess the various options for reforming the direct payment system. The changes that must be made to the direct payment system and, more specifically, to the way in which the payments are distributed, in order to ensure fairer treatment among Member States and among the various categories of farmers, is at the centre of the debate on the future of the CAP. Nevertheless, there are still questions surrounding which methods and criteria to use in order to begin working towards providing more equitable support. One important matter concerning the future distribution of direct support among Member States will be to determine how to progress from the current situation to a more equitable distribution in the future and, at the same time, avoid major upheavals which could have significant economic consequences in certain regions or for certain production systems.
The CAP post-2013 will also have to deal with many environmental challenges, including the issue of soil degradation in Europe, which, today, is a very serious problem heightened by the issue of climate change.
Biodiversity is also a main priority for the sustainable management of natural resources within the Europe 2020 strategy. Although the goal to stop biodiversity loss by 2010 was not achieved, progress has clearly been made and the CAP has made a significant contribution to this."@en1
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