The European Commission this afternoon adopted the first package of delegated acts for the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) aiming at making the CAP fairer, greener and more targeted.

Those texts supplement the four basic acts adopted on 13 December 2013 by the European Parliament and the Council for the reform of the CAP.

Dacian Cioloş, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, said today: “The adoption of the Delegated Acts is the final hurdle, which will allow member states to draft rules at national level, so that the reformed Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) can be implemented. Now the Parliament and the Council have to take decision. I thank them for their valuable and constructive input all along the preparation of these acts.

“It is essential that member states are in a position to adopt rules at national level very soon so that, ultimately, CAP Reform is fully implemented as from January 2015, farmers are able to make decisions on what they will produce and how in the future and European citizens as a whole are able to benefit from an efficient new CAP.”

According to the Commission, the delegated acts have been thoroughly discussed with experts from the 28 member states and from the European Parliament.

Their adoption by the Commission opens a two-month period during which both the European Parliament and the Council will scrutinise the texts.

In the absence of objections from both institutions, the delegated acts will be published together with the corresponding implementing acts, so as to allow member states to decide how to implement the reform of the CAP at national or regional level.

The 10 delegated acts supplementing the four basic Regulations lay down rules in relation to:

direct payments
integrated administration and control system and conditions for refusal or withdrawal of payments and administrative penalties applicable to direct payments, rural development support and cross compliance
requirements related to the agricultural products benefiting from private storage aid
fruit and vegetables and processed fruit and vegetables sectors
aid for accompanying measures in the framework of a School Fruit and Vegetables Scheme
support programmes in the sectors of olive oil and table olives
measures under the national support programmes in the wine sector
support for rural development
paying agencies and other bodies, financial management, clearance of accounts, securities and use of euro
public intervention expenditure

Related: Delegated acts on the CAP Reform explained