BRATISLAVA, April 12, (WEBNOVINY) – European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Dacian Ciolos presented several plans of the European Commission related to the Common Agricultural Policy after year 2013 during his visit to Slovakia on Tuesday. Among other things, the commissioner confirmed inclusion of the term „active farmer“ into the agricultural policy rules of the EU. “The aim of the definition of the term active farmer is to eliminate from the system of direct payments those who own land, but do not use it for any agricultural activity,” he said.
As Ciolos added, the European Commission does not discuss what type of agricultural activity or the amount of products the farmer produces on the land, as it can change with the situation develops. Also, he plans to request that member states include the definition of active farmer into their own national legislation. “Of course, we will take into regard specific aspects of individual member states,” ensured the commissioner. He further confirmed that his aim is a unified and non-discriminatory agricultural policy for all countries of the EU. As a commissioner, Ciolos plans to push through equalization of subsidy allocation.
Ciolos also praised Slovak Agriculture Minister Zsolt Simon for resolving problems with accreditation of Agricultural Paying Agency and introducing appropriate terms for proper performance of the agency. Even though there is room for improvement, he is convinced that the development is heading in right direction, he added.
SITA