Common agricultural policy (CAP): financing, management and monitoring 2014-2020

The Commission briefed the Council on an amendment to a proposal for a Regulation on the financing, management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy (CAP) or "Horizontal Regulation" in CAP reform package.

With regard to the amendments on the publication of the names of beneficiaries, some Member States pointed out that the de minimis threshold was not necessary for the sake of transparency; in their view, all beneficiaries of CAP payments should be listed.

Some others expressed concerns about the details given on the beneficiaries, fearing that this process might interfere with data on private life. They questioned whether the proposal complied with the Court of Justice ruling. An opinion of the Council Legal Service was requested by some delegations.

In addition to provisions concerning cross-compliance for Croatia with a view to its accession, the new proposal on the horizontal regulation includes other amendments regarding new rules on the publication of information on all beneficiaries of the EU agricultural funds. This takes account of the objections by the Court of Justice to the former rules to the extent that they were applicable to natural persons. The new rules will differ from the ones declared invalid by the Court in the said Joined Cases in so far as they:

• are based on a revised detailed justification, centred around the need for public control of the use of European agricultural funds in order to protect the Union's financial interests;
• require more detailed information to be given on the nature and description of the measures for which the funds are disbursed;
• include a de minimis threshold below which the name of the beneficiary will not be published.

The Council is expected to adopt a partial general approach on the single CMO and on the other CAP reform proposals by the end of the year under the Cypriot Presidency.