MEPs are gathering in Brussels today to decide whether they will attend the final days of negotiations on CAP reform in Luxembourg next week.
The presence of the MEPs during the last stages of the talks are seen by many as crucial to securing a deal in the next 10 days.
MEPs are threatening not to travel to Luxembourg unless they are reassured by the European Commission and the Farm Council that their co-legislative powers under the Lisbon Treaty are respected. However, it is likely that a final deal will not be unveiled until Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney, as President of the Farm Council, and European Commissioner Dacian Ciolos travel back to Brussels to secure an agreement from the European Parliament.
The issues of frontloading and what level a minimum payment will be set at are likely to go down to the wire.
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