Common Agricultural Policy inquiry

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) must keep its commitment to paying 90% of farmers their full Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) entitlements in December 2016 after failing to meet its payout targets this year, says the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee in its report on Common Agricultural Policy. Scope of the inquiry The EFRA Committee … Show more

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) must keep its commitment to paying 90% of farmers their full Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) entitlements in December 2016 after failing to meet its payout targets this year, says the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee in its report on Common Agricultural Policy. Scope of the inquiry The EFRA Committee intends to keep a watching brief over developments in the Common Agricultural Policy throughout the life of this Parliament, with a view towards contributing policy ideas ahead of negotiation for the 2020 CAP reform. With payments under the new CAP system due to be made to farmers from December this year, with the EU Commission seeking ways to simplify the CAP and with complex changes to the mix of direct payments and payments related to environmental measures, CAP, already the biggest item in Defra’s budget, is likely to remain a key topic for the Committee, and the intention is to take evidence and report on individual aspects of the policy as they emerge. The Committee would welcome communications on any aspect of the CAP at any time. Calls for evidence on particular topics, or oral evidence sessions on particular topics, will be announced in due course. Show less