A key report from agriculture MEPs in the European Parliament, set to be published next week, will begin a "crucial phase" on Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) talks, an Irish MEP has said.

Barry Cowen welcomed confirmation that the report from the parliament's agriculture committee will be published on June 12, although its English language version will be published some days later.

The report has been developed by German MEP Norbert Lins, who is the committee's lead MEP for the new CAP.

Cowen said the publication of the report will mark a "significant milestone in negotiations on the future of European agriculture".

Negotiations and amendments between the parliament's political groups will then "begin in earnest", he said.

The publication of the draft report "represents the beginning of the most important phase of negotiations and will determine the direction of Parliament's position ahead of eventual talks with the Council and European Commission," the MEP added.

Some of the key difference in Lins' upcoming report compared to the European Commission's proposals last summer include reintroducing the Complimentary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS); removing proposals for further degressivity; and a commitment to long-term funding for rural development programmes, including the LEADER programme.

Lins' report will also call for the removal of the 'Do No Significant Harm' principle from CAP conditionality.

The 'Do No Significant Harm' principle was added to the CAP proposals last summer by the commission, with the proposals stating that all payments under CAP interventions should the subject to that principle, and the principle itself stating that economic activity subject to payments cannot cause significant emissions or other environmental issues.

Budget

However, Cowen stressed that the "overriding issue" remains the overall CAP budget.

The European Commission's current proposal would reduce CAP funding from approximately €386 billion to €296 billion. A recent European Parliament report called for a significantly larger agricultural allocation of approximately €433 billion.

Cowen said: "The publication of the first draft report will mark the real beginning of negotiations. Up to now, much of the discussion has been about broad principles. From June 12 onwards, we move into the detail.

"But the central question remains funding. Farmers are less concerned about institutional architecture than they are about what ultimately ends up in their pockets. The commission's proposed reduction is not acceptable," he added.

"The parliament has already sent a strong signal through its support for a €433 billion CAP envelope. The challenge now is turning that signal into reality," the Ireland Midlands-Northwest MEP said.

"That will require constructive engagement between political groups, but I believe there is a growing coalition emerging around the need for a stronger CAP budget," he added.

Cowen said: "The next CAP will shape European agriculture for the best part of a decade. It is vital that we get it right."