Common agricultural policy CAP: adaptation of the Act of Accession and of the Treaties following the reform

PURPOSE : to extend the CAP reform to the 10 new Member States of the European Union. LEGISLATIVE ACT : Council Decision 2004/281/EC. CONTENT : this Decision adapts the Act of Accession and the CAP reform regulations so as to ensure the smooth integration of the new Member States into the reformed CAP, as from their accession on 1 May 2004. This text is aimed at maintaining the character and principles of the political agreement reached in Copenhagen in December 2002 at the end of the accession negotiations, and in particular at preserving specific agreements, including those on transitional arrangements, reached at that time. The new Member States were fully involved in the Council's examination of this text. This Decision sets out the adaptations to be made to the Act of Accession following the CAP reform: - progressive introduction of (new) direct payments; - single area payment; - complementary national direct payments (topping-up); - milk; - rural development. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 01/05/2004.�