Agriculture, EU – Baltic States, Latvia, Legislation, Markets and Companies

The Commission has presented a conceptual document about the future of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which is a very important document as it will serve as the basis for the Commission's proposals next year that will regulate the EU agriculture after 2020, reminded Duklavs.

"After reading the document, I thought that the Commission had presented a smart, progressive, yet also a complicated vision," said Duklavs, adding that the Commission was planning to modernize and simplify the CAP, but no revolutionary changes were being planned.

According to the Commission's vision, EU member countries will have more freedom in deciding their agricultural policies. However, "there are a lot of questions how these plans will be implemented in practice. If all goes the way the Commission is planning, we will be able to pursue our rural development policies. There will be development in employment, economy, rural populations, which is very good," stressed Duklavs.

The Commission also believes that differences between CAP support among the member countries have to be reduced. This, Duklavs notes, is a step in the right direction, and he believes that differences between direct payments among the member countries have to be eliminated no later than by 2021.

On the other hand, the Commission's report is an entirely new document, and the Agriculture Ministry is currently analyzing the Commission's vision of Latvian agriculture.

The Commission's report "The Future of Food and Farming" was released at the end of November. It says that streamlined rules and more flexible approach will foster sustainable development of the EU agriculture. According to the Commission's Representation in Latvia, giving member countries more responsibility in deciding where to invest their CAP financing so as to achieve common environmental, climate change and sustainability goals is the cornerstone of the initiative.