Common agricultural policy CAP: information measures (Regulation (EC) No 1258/99)

The committee adopted the report (consultation procedure) by Maria IZQUIERDO ROJO (PES, E) approving the Commission proposal for a regulation subject to a number of amendments. These reflected the committee's desire to make clear that the first priority for the measures must be to inform countrymen and countrywomen about the development and objectives of the CAP. They also sought to broaden the scope of the organisations targeted to include young farmers, women and 'European rural workshops' (rural information and activity centres set up by the Commission). A number of amendments aimed to stimulate debate on the CAP, to identify the problems and potential of agriculture and means of improving the application of the CAP, to ensure that the amount of funding provided by the Commission could be increased above the 75% limit for organisations with very little money and to ensure that the Commission provided adequate funding for all the organisations entitled to take part in the measures so that farmers' organisations did not lose out to consumer groups and environmental organisations. Some amendments sought to lay down common criteria for the content and aims of the information measures, placing emphasis inter alia on jobs, sustainable and multifunctional farming, the environment and quality products, while others stressed the need to cut red tape.