The EU-wide group representing young farmers has welcomed the European Commission's package to simplify the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which was announced this week.

CEJA said the commission's package provides "concrete answers" to implementation gaps in the current CAP.

CEJA president Peter Meedendorp said: "To us, the idea of simplification is first and foremost about solving the inconsistencies and inefficiencies we are facing with the policy.

"If we want the CAP to achieve its objectives, we need to work hand in hand with all institutions involved to find concrete solutions to the very practical problems voiced by our sector," Meedendorp added.

CEJA said that the highlights of the simplification plan for EU young farmers include making it easier to avail of investment support, where access to financing tools "is far from optimal".

"Provisions on the matter include flexibility to grant support for compliance with national requirements and the streamlined access to...financial instruments, which currently suffer severe lacks in programming," CEJA said, referring to pillar II CAP programmes.

"Similarly, the authorisation granted to member states to use their CAP national envelope to cover most catastrophic natural disasters provides a welcomed safety net," the farm group added.

According to CEJA, other points of attention for young farmers include a "better understanding and practicability" of some environmental provisions", as well as a lighter reporting burden on national authorities in the implementation of CAP.

"The latter will hopefully promote a culture of trust and availability between national authorities and young farmers, and make CAP applications and payment systems more efficient," the group said.

CEJA said it remains available to support the implementation of the changes proposed and that young farmers "remain committed to building more coherence between the different legislative frameworks that meet on their farms".