The Ministry of Agriculture, Agrifood and Forestry in France has announced the establishment of a monitoring committee of the CAP reform.
On the eve of long and hard negotiations on the European Union budget and the CAP, agriculture Minister Stéphane Le Foll wants a dialogue with stakeholders. This is somewhat similar to the initiative of the former minister Michel Barnier just before the CAP health check in 2007.
European discussions made good progress under the Danish Presidency, at the time the new government was still settling in France. Back in June, Stéphane Le Foll sent a controversial message at his first meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council. At another Council meeting dedicated to risk management tools on 16 July, the Minister’s message also illustrated the lack of clear stance from the French authorities.
The first meeting of this new monitoring committee is scheduled for September 7. It will consist of members of farmer and agrifood organisations, as well as representatives of the regions and civil society organizations. The meeting will serve to inform stakeholders on the status of EU negotiations and enable a discussion with the Minister and government on the priorities of the CAP reform. Working groups are due to be installed (market organization, direct payments and rural development …).
