BRUSSELS, BELGIUM — The European Commission adopted on March 11 the first package of delegated acts for the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) aiming at making the CAP fairer, greener and more targeted. Those texts supplement the four basic acts adopted on Dec. 13,  2013, by the European Parliament and the council for the reform of the CAP.

"The adoption of the Delegated Acts is the final hurdle, which will allow member states to draft rules at national level, so that the reformed Common Agricultural Policy can be implemented. Now the Parliament and the council have to make decisions,” said Dacian Ciolo?, European commissioner for agriculture and rural development. “I thank them for their valuable and constructive input all along the preparation of these acts. It is essential that member states are in a position to adopt rules at national level very soon so that, ultimately, CAP reform is fully implemented from January 2015, farmers are able to make decisions on what they will produce and how in the future and European citizens as a whole are able to benefit from an efficient new CAP.”

The Delegated Acts have been thoroughly discussed with experts from the 28 member states and from the European Parliament. Their adoption by the commission opens a two-month period during which both the European Parliament and the council will scrutinize the texts. In the absence of objections from both institutions, the delegated acts will be published together with the corresponding implementing acts, so as to allow member states to decide how to implement the reform of the CAP at national or regional level.

The 10 delegated acts supplementing the four basic regulations lay down rules in relation to:

• Direct payments,
• Integrated administration and control system and conditions for refusal or withdrawal of payments and administrative penalties applicable to direct payments, rural development support and cross compliance,
• Requirements related to the agricultural products benefiting from private storage aid,
• Fruit and vegetables and processed fruit and vegetables sectors,
• Aid for accompanying measures in the framework of a School Fruit and Vegetables Scheme,
• Support programs in the sectors of olive oil and table olives,
• Measures under the national support programs in the wine sector,
• Support for rural development,
• Paying agencies and other bodies, financial management, clearance of accounts, securities and use of euro,
• Public intervention expenditure.