THE man in charge of the EU Commission Office in Northern Ireland has confirmed to Farming Life that the European Parliament will play a major role in determining the outcome of the next full review of the Common Agricultural Policy.
Maurice Maxwell added: "The Parliament now has the power of co-decision, where agriculture is concerned. This has already been the case for some time with regard to the setting of the EU budget and a range of other important EU policy areas.
"From a
logistical point of view, the fact that the Parliament now has a say in the full determination of farm policy may increase the length of time it takes to reach a decision, leading up to the next review of the CAP. However, co-decision has worked in other policy areas, so I am pretty confident that the Commission, working in tandem with the Council of Farm Ministers and the European Parliament will be able to get the business that's required sorted out within an acceptable time frame.
"The Commission in Brussels will publish its initial Review proposals in March or April of next year. It is anticipated that a small grouping within the Parliament, which will almost certainly include members of its agriculture committee, will take part in the final CAP Review negotiations.
"The Commission kick starts the whole process by publishing the initial Review proposals," Maurice Maxwell further explained.
"Given that this is the first opportunity for the Parliament to have a full say in the determination of EU agricultural policy, I have no doubt that MEPs will take the opportunity of 'flexing their muscles' when it comes to getting down to the business of reaching a final agreement."
Maurice Maxwell made his comments in the wake of the full implementation of the Lisbon Treaty, which came into effect on December 1st, and Manuel Barosso announcing his new Commission team in Brussels. All of the new Commissioners must be ratified by the European Parliament, a process which will get underway in January. All of these developments are serving to focus the minds of local farming leaders on the challenges they now face in securing a new deal for agriculture which will meet the needs of farmers in Northern Ireland.
Ulster Farmers' Union President Graham Furey told Farming Life that he is looking forward to meeting the new EU Agriculture Commissioner, as soon as the required ratification process is completed. The current nominee is Dacian Ciolos from Romania.
"Sometimes political appointments in Brussels may seem far removed from family farming in Northern Ireland but the fact is that very important decisions will be made in Brussels in the coming years and the next EU Agriculture Commissioner will have a significant influence on this and on the well being of farms in Northern Ireland," he added.
The Union's President confirmed that the new Commissioner would have three particularly important issues in his or her in-tray;
"The first task for the new Commissioner will be to secure a strong budget for the CAP in the upcoming EU Budget negotiations," he further explained.
"We all know how critical the Single Farm Payment is to local farm businesses and we need the new Commissioner to safeguard the CAP budget. Secondly the discussions are also beginning on the next CAP Reform in 2013 and this will probably define how successful the next Commissioner will be. We need the new Commissioner to deliver a non-bureaucratic CAP which continues to effectively support our farming families and deliver food and security and good environmental management. Thirdly the Commissioner will have to represent agriculture effectively in the climate change debate. Agriculture should be part of the solution to climate change, not part of the problem."
