Portugal submits strategic plan of the CAP for consideration by the European Commission
The strategic plans required a new element of the reform of the CAP – closed during the Portuguese presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), in the first half of the year, after two years of emergency – and have to be transferred to Brussels by the 31st
“The strategic plan of the PAC, which enters into force in January 2023, will guarantee greater equity in the distribution of support, value small and medium-sized agriculture and territorial specificities, as well as the promotion of investment and rejuvenation, contributing to this way, for the climate and digital transition, without leaving anyone behind”, said the Minister of Agriculture, Maria do Céu Antunes, in a statement.
The objective of the Portuguese strategic plan is to promote active management of the entire territory, based on innovative and sustainable agricultural and forestry production.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, a Portuguese proposal for the strategic plan of the new CAP defines that ecological schemes represent 25% of direct payments and that measures that contribute to the environment and the climate represent more than 40% of the Rural Development pillar, reflecting the national ambition in this field.
Redistributive support, on the other hand, corresponds to 10% of the direct payments envelope, to which must be added the payment to small agriculture (9%).
On the other hand, income support for young people and young people obtain an amount equivalent to 3% of direct payments, contributing to generational renewal.
The program Links Between Actions for the Development of the Rural Economy (LEADER), has a weight of 6% of the envelope of Rural Development, reflecting the importance of territorial management, the statement said.
In Portugal, the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 provides, for the application of the CAP, around ten billion euros, already in execution the transition period of 2021 and 2022, according to Government data.
With a financial envelope in excess of 6,800 million euros, the strategic plan will be provided between 2023-27, and will be complemented by other support instruments, such as the Recovery and Resilience Plan and the National Irrigation Plan, still foreseen for the continuation of the execution of the current Rural Development Programs, until 2025.
The EU Council formally adopted on December 2nd the new common agricultural policy (CAP), agreed on June 28, which will apply in the period 2023-2027.
The new CAP aims to provide a sustainable future for European farmers, ensure more targeted support for smaller farms and give Member States more flexibility to adapt measures to local conditions through strategic plans.
IG // MSF