The post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform package, the strategies for achieving the objectives set by the Green Deal and the Farm to Fork strategy, the New Delevery Model, innovation and digital transition.
These were the themes at the center of the summit of EU agriculture and fisheries ministers which took place yesterday and today in Brussels.
The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Policies, Stefano Patuanelli, presented the Italian position on the various points addressed during the two days of the summit, underlining the need to proceed with the agreement for the new CAP, going beyond the critical issues and the different positions of member countries.
Substantial convergence by the Minister both on the definition of flexible 'active farmer', identified through criteria established by the Member States, in compliance with the principle of subsidiarity, provided that each country can assess whether it is necessary to identify this subject and, if so, have wide margins for its definition, both on capping, degressivity of payments and redistributive payment, on which we must look at the outcome of the European Council last July and move towards their optional application at Member State level based on the objective analysis of needs.
As regards the level of internal convergence of payment entitlements by 2026, the Minister stressed that it is preferable for Italy to maintain the minimum level of 75% as proposed by the Commission, also taking into account that the convergence process is a a delicate operation that must be carefully planned at the level of each country.
Minister Patuanelli then proposed to continue working to make the new governance model, the New Delevery Model, simpler and more effective, reducing bureaucracy and reporting, with strategic plans that can be easily implemented at the regional level, avoiding the a double level of controls, performance and regularity, which would entail an administrative burden.
Finally, Patuanelli asked to review the mandate concerning the use of risk management tools, and which provide for support mechanisms for farmers to deal with disasters caused by catastrophic climatic events, raising the current rate, from 1 to at least 3%.