Feedback and experience from the two years of implementation of the CAP Strategic Plans under the current CAP Union legal framework indicate that further, limited adjustments of that legal framework are needed in order to address the identified bottlenecks and complexities. Those include the fact that specific circumstances, practices and needs of certain groups of farmers, such as organic farmers, young farmers, women farmers, mountain-area farmers, small-scale farmers and livestock farmers, are not yet sufficiently taken into account in the CAP Union legal framework, which does not permit Member States to adjust the various instruments to the specific circumstances, practices and needs of those farmers. Also, certain simplification opportunities within the CAP, such as the use of lump-sums or simplified cost options, are underutilised due to complexities in their implementation and management. That can lead to overlapping or ambiguous requirements for farmers, complicate farmers’ access to support, and hinder business development opportunities for farmers, such as for young farmers and new farmers. There are also certain rigidities in the rules impacting how Member States manage and amend their CAP Strategic Plans and fulfil their reporting obligations. Finally, the burden of on-farm-visits and checks on both farmers and administrative bodies still needs to be alleviated, in particular by introducing more efficient methodologies for Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) quality assessments and conditionality controls. Overcoming those bottlenecks, complexities and rigidities would help Member States use the CAP Strategic Plans to maximise opportunities for the benefit of farmers and other beneficiaries of the CAP, reduce administrative burden and complexity, and make better use of scarce resources. In order to maximise the effect of the direct payments granted under the support system established by the CAP legal framework, in particular as regards the fair income and living standards of the farmers, it is important that national measures outside CAP are designed in such a way as to not affect the direct payments negatively.
Text as published in the Official Journal, reproduced verbatim (including any typographical quirks of the source). For the authentic version, see EUR-Lex.
