Strasbourg (F), 28 January 2003

The AER has reviewed the European Commission’s legislative proposals on mid-term review of Common Agriculture Policy (CAP). “Despite the softening of the guidelines presented by Commissioner Fischler in July 2002, the European Commission reasserts the good principles of the reform and its determination to place sustainable rural development and the consumers’ protection at the heart of the future CAP“ says Brian Greenslade, President of the AER Committee on Regional Policy, Territorial Development, Infrastructures, Environment and Tourism.

However, referring to the outcome of the AER Conference in Pecs last November, Brian Greenslade criticised the lack of the regional dimension at the elaboration-stage of these proposals “The new CAP must be above all a key instrument for the polycentric development of the Union, alongside the future Cohesion Policy. Since the CAP has a direct impact on the policies of each region, the regions must be consulted on the reform proposals as well as on its implementation process” said Mr Greenslade.

“We also wonder whether these new proposals will allow us to achieve the required objective of simplifying the procedures for farmers and to guarantee best coordination between CAP and the other EU structural policies” added Brian Greenslade. The CAP reform, in the perspective of polycentric development of enlarged Europe, will remain on the top of the agenda of the next meeting of the AER Committee on Regional Policy (Calabria-I, 5-6th June 2003).

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