Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on simplification of agricultural legislation
Date: 2001-01-29
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: agricultural market, agricultural product, reform of the CAP, regulation of agricultural production, structural policy

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 29.01.2001
COM(2001) 48 final

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
AND THE COUNCIL

on

SIMPLIFICATION OF AGRICULTURAL LEGISLATION

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
AND THE COUNCIL

on simplification of agricultural legislation

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.

2.

2.1.

2.2.

2.3.

3.

3.1.

3.2.

3.3.

3.4.

3.5.

3.6.

4.

Introduction.............................................................................................................. 3

Initiatives within the Commission to increase clarity, transparency and access
to agricultural legislation .......................................................................................... 4

Internal guidelines for simplification ........................................................................ 4

Informal consolidation of agricultural legislation...................................................... 4

Reduction of number of regulations.......................................................................... 5

Horizontal actions on simplification ......................................................................... 5

Small farmers’ Scheme............................................................................................. 5

New guidelines for state aids .................................................................................... 6

Promotion of agricultural products ........................................................................... 6

Integrated administration and control system (IACS)................................................ 6

Trade Mechanisms.................................................................................................... 6

Prices Package.......................................................................................................... 7

Market measures taken or proposed by the Commission to simplify the CAP
since the last report................................................................................................... 8

4.1.

Arable crops ............................................................................................................. 8

4.1.1. Cereals ..………………………………………………………………………………8

4.1.2. Direct aid.................................................................................................................. 8

4.2.

4.3.

4.4.

4.5.

4.6.

4.7.

4.8.

4.9.

5.

5.1.

5.2.

6.

6.1.

6.2.

7.

Wine......................................................................................................................... 8

Flax and hemp ........................................................................................................ 10

Cotton .................................................................................................................... 10

Meat ....................................................................................................................... 10

Milk and milk products........................................................................................... 11

Fruit and vegetables................................................................................................ 11

Rice........................................................................................................................ 12

Sugar...................................................................................................................... 12

Proposals from the paying agencies and measures taken by the Commission to
implement them...................................................................................................... 12

Procedure followed................................................................................................. 12

Overview of the result of the exercise ..................................................................... 12

Other simplification measures ................................................................................ 13

Follow up to Council conclusions from 23 October 2000........................................ 13

Working group ....................................................................................................... 13

Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 14

2

1.

INTRODUCTION

In April 1999 the Commission presented a first report to the European Parliament and the
Council on its efforts to simplify agricultural legislation. The purpose of this report is to
provide information on the progress made since then.

Over the last few years the Commission has made simplification one of the guiding principles
in its deliberations on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

Both the European Parliament and the Council have expressed their support for this work at
several occasions. In a resolution in 2000, the European Parliament called on the Commission
to present without delay proposals aimed at simplifying Community legislative and
implementing provisions within the CAP, in order to guarantee transparency and efficiency.
The Council, for its part, reaffirmed its commitment to the objective of simplifying the
management of the CAP at its meeting on 23 October 2000.

In its work to simplify the CAP the Commission has chosen to focus on the following aspects:

(1)

(2)

making agricultural legislation as clear, transparent and easily accessible as possible
and

reducing the administrative workload that the CAP imposes on farmers and on others
concerned, as well as on national and Community authorities, to only what is strictly
necessary.

Simple, clear legislation is vital for sound and efficient management of limited resources, both
human and financial. The more ambiguous and complex the rules, the more difficult and costly -
in terms of administrative and human resources - will they be to implement, to manage and to
control and the more scope will there be for fraud. That is why simplification is important both to
increase the cost effectiveness of the CAP and to reduce the risk of errors and fraud.
Furthermore, in the present budgetary context it is clear that the Commission for its part
cannot agree simplification which would to any substantial degree increase expenditure or the
risk of fraud or abuse. In this respect, the importance of not weakening the efficiency of the
control systems, in particular the Integrated Administration and Control System, shall be
stressed.

In the past, simplification has very often consisted of trying to remove sources of difficulty and
complication after the publication of a regulation. In future, however, we need to ensure that the
objective of simplification is already fully taken into account during the decision-making
process, and that this process results in legislation, which is simple from the outset and does not
require corrective action afterwards. The Commission, for its part, will make even greater efforts
in this respect. All Institutions involved in the legislative process need, however, to be aware of
their responsibility in achieving this objective.

As this report will show, from April 1999, when the first Report on simplification was
adopted, important progress has been made in the efforts to simplify the CAP.

The Council has already adopted some of the Commission proposals advanced in 1999,
especially in the framework of the last CAP reform. For instance, in Rural Development

3

important simplification was achieved in 1999 by means of a single regulatory framework1,
which replaced the previous nine regulations. The reduction to three of the number of
objectives for structural measures also reflects simplification.
In the wine sector the
Regulation to establish a new Common Market Organisation was adopted on 17 May 1999 by
the Agricultural Council and entered into force on 1 August 2000. This regulation and the
accompanying application rules adopted during 2000 are further developed below. In other
fields, efforts have been made in order to ensure that proposals respect simplification
purposes and objectives.

The simplification resulting from this exercise did not go however as far as the Commission
would have wished and it is thus aware that much more needs still to be done.

In addition to the initiatives taken in the framework of the last CAP reform, the Commission
has also undertaken specific initiatives
simplification of
administrative processes and to reduce burdens on farmers. For instance, the Commission
adopted recently a proposal that will greatly simplify the system of applying for and paying
aids to small farmers: the “Small Farmers’ Scheme”.

intended to bring about

2.

INITIATIVES WITHIN THE COMMISSION TO INCREASE CLARITY, TRANSPARENCY
AND ACCESS TO AGRICULTURAL LEGISLATION

The following actions have been taken:

2.1.

Internal guidelines for simplification

If substantial simplification of the CAP is to be achieved, the process must begin at the point
where proposals for new or amended legislation are first under consideration. To help the
Commission services with their efforts to make agricultural legislative proposals as clear and
simple as possible,
internal guidelines for simplification have been drawn up by DG
Agriculture.. The guidelines form part of the resolve to make sure that the new agricultural
legislation is as simple and clear as possible from the outset.

2.2.

Informal consolidation of agricultural legislation

In the 1999 report on simplification the Commission described its project to consolidate
agricultural legislation in all official languages of the EU. The project had been launched
early that year. Because of the frequency of amendments to agricultural legislation, and in
order to facilitate access to it, modifications to legal acts are integrated into the basic texts so
that a single and updated version of the text can be consulted. The informally consolidated
versions are available on the Internet for the general public. Although not legally binding, the
consolidated versions substantially facilitate the search for rules in force for those concerned
by the CAP.

1

Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 of 17 May 1999 on support for rural development from the
European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) and amending and repealing certain
Regulations; Commission Regulation (EC) No 1750/1999 of 23 July 1999 laying down detailed rules
for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 on support for rural development from
the EAGGF; Commission Regulation (EC) No 2603/1999 of 9 December 1999 laying down rules for
the transition to the rural development support provided for by Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999

4

By the end of 2000 around 500 agricultural acts have been consolidated and made available
on the EUR-LEX web site (http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/consleg/index_en.htm).

2.3.

Reduction of number of regulations

Simplification was one of the objectives of Agenda 2000. Reforms in the different sectors
have required a substantial amount of work to reduce not only the volume of agricultural
legislation but also the adminitrative workload it imposses. In drafting the new regulations for
the reformed common organisations of markets, efforts have been made in order to have a
single Council regulation for each sector.

When a problem has been proved to be common for several sectors, efforts are also made to
introduce a common provision in the various regulations governing these sectors.

3.

HORIZONTAL ACTIONS ON SIMPLIFICATION

3.1.

Small farmers’ Scheme

In order to reduce the administrative burden, in particular for farmers receiving small amounts
of direct aid, the Commission proposed in December 2000 that a simplified system for paying
such aids be established for a trial period2. The scheme – hereafter called the “Small Farmers’
Scheme” – should also bring about substantial simplification for the national administrations
responsible for paying and controlling the aids. The administrative cost of processing an
application, making the payment and carrying out the necessary controls can be considerable
in relation to the amounts paid, particularly when these amounts are small.

The maximum payment available to farmers under this scheme will be limited to EUR 1 000
per year during the trial period. A farmer entering the scheme will have the right to remain
within it from the year in which he applies for participation in the scheme until the end of the
trial period in 2005.

The proposed simplified scheme should be open to farmers who have already received direct
aid during a reference period, which is proposed to be three years. Farmers who wish to join
the scheme would make one single application when they enter the scheme and receive one
global payment per year, covering all the direct aids covered by the scheme.

The annual global payment will be based on the amount of the direct payments the farmer has
received during the reference period, i.e. the three years preceding his application, subject to a
maximum amount of EUR 1 000. The payment should be the highest of the simple average of
the three years or the payment received in the most recent year. Once it has been established,
the amount will be paid until the end of the trial period, provided that the farmer still fulfils
the conditions for the simplified scheme.

The conditions should be as simple as possible. A pre-condition is that the farmer has
previously applied for and received direct aid, so the scheme does not attract farmers who
have not already applied for direct aids. Applicants need to have received aid under at least
one of the support schemes included in the Small Farmers’ Scheme during each of the three
years preceding the year of application. Access to the scheme should be voluntary.

2

COM(2000) 841.

5

The Commission will assess the effects of the scheme during the third year of the trial period
and make appropriated proposals.

3.2.

New guidelines for state aids

The new Community guidelines for state aids in the agricultural sector from February 20003
replace and consolidate a great variety of other frameworks, guidelines and Commission
working documents and practices. They result in greater transparency and facilitate the tasks
of the competent authorities.

3.3.

Promotion of agricultural products

The Commission has recently adopted a proposal for a Council Regulation4 on information
provision and promotion for agricultural products. This proposal aims at harmonising and
simplifying the various current promotion schemes (up to twelve) so as to increase their
effectiveness and make their management more transparent.

3.4.

Integrated administration and control system (IACS)

One of the aims of amendments, which have recently been introduced to the Council5 and
Commission6 IACS regulations, is to clarify certain areas of these regulations.

A newly introduced Geographic Information System for the identification of parcels will
facilitate the control of parcels of land. At the level of Commission regulation a clause was
introduced to encourage Member States to introduce business-based checks, i.e. to check as
many measures as possible during a single control visit. This should reduce the burden on
farmers, who would thus not be subjected to multiple checks during the same year for
different measures.

Recent reforms of different schemes make reference to the IACS instruments of control. It
therefore can be said that there is a clear move towards one single administration and control
scheme instead of having various different provisions for different schemes.

In the near future, work on a codification of the Commission IACS regulation is envisaged.

3.5.

Trade Mechanisms

Provisions concerning trade mechanisms had been repeatedly and substantially amended,
therefore, on the occasion of fresh amendments various regulations have been recast for the
sake of clarity besides introducing some simplification measures. That was the case of the
horizontal regulation on export refunds7 which was consolidated in 1999 following to a large
extend the suggestions of the Paying Agencies. Rules concerning export and import licences,
export destination codes and the system of securities have undergone a similar simplification
process.

3

4

5

6

7

Community Guidelines for State aid in the agriculture sector (OJ C 28, 1.2.2000, p. 2).
COM(2000) 538 final.
Council Regulation (EC) No 1593/2000.
Commission Regulation (EC) No 2801/1999.
Commission regulation EC No 800/1999 laying down common detailed rules for the application of the
system of export refunds on agricultural products (OJ L 102, 17.4.1999, p. 11).

6

The horizontal regulation on import and export licences (EEC) No 3719/88 has been amended
in some cases substantially. In the interests of clarity and administrative
many times,
efficiency these rules have been consolidated in a single text, Commission Regulation (EC)
No 1291/2000(8). The new regulation implies substantial simplification that will ease the
administrative burden for both the trade and the national administrations concerned. Among
the most important modifications:

–

–

–

–

definition of the person who can use the certificate: the customs declaration must be
made by the named holder or, where applicable, the transferee of the license or
certificate or their representative (Article 24),

Member States may introduce a simplified procedure which avoids the physical
losing these documents
transmission of
(Article 25),

licences, and therefore the risk of

fixing, for each product, of the maximum quantity up to which a licence or certificate
is not required (Annex III to the Regulation),

the amount below which a security on a licence is not required has been increased
from EUR 5 to 60.

A simplified system for indicating destinations in the fixing of export refunds has applied
since September 20009. This new single system which replaces the different and complex
systems used in different sectors up to now, will reduce the risk of misunderstanding and
error. Furthermore it will facilitate electronic exchange of data and information between the
Commission and Member States, and therefore reduces expenses.

Commission Regulation EC No 1932/1999 amended Regulation (EEC) No 2220/85 laying
down common detailed rules for the application of the system of securities for agricultural
products. This new regulation includes:

–

–

–

a simpler procedure for forwarding information to the Commission by Member
states,

a simplification of interest calculations in certain cases,

the amount below which a security is not required has been increased from EUR 100
to 500.

As regards physical checks, Commission Regulation (EC) No 2655/1999 has introduced
important simplification measures by means of reducing a certain number of physical checks
and analysis, improving at the same time the effectiveness of the controls.

3.6.

Prices Package

The adoption of the farm prices package for 2000/01 reflected the multiannual approach set
out in Agenda 2000 and the previous reforms. This provides farmers with a more stable
framework to plan their production. The yearly fixing of institutional prices and amounts
affects now only a few sectors.

8

9

OJ L 152, 24.6.2000, p. 1.
Regulation (EC) No 2605/1999.

7

4.

MARKET MEASURES TAKEN OR PROPOSED BY THE COMMISSION TO SIMPLIFY THE
CAP SINCE THE LAST REPORT

In the framework of Agenda 2000, new regulations for the common organisation of the
markets (COM) for arable crops and for rural development introduced important elements of
simplification.

Other reforms adopted or proposed more recently have brought or will bring about
simplification of agricultural legislation in a number of market sectors.

4.1.

Arable crops

4.1.1. Cereals

Cereals intervention regime has been codified in a single new regulation10 that settles down
the procedures for taking over of cereals and lays down methods of analysis for determining
the quality. The price increases or reductions by which the intervention price is increased or
decreased shall be expressed in euro, and not in percentages as in the past.

4.1.2. Direct aid

In the reform of the arable crops11, simplification measures notably included the rules
concerning penalties, the abolition of extraordinary set-aside and individual base areas and the
streamlining of compensatory payments for oilseeds.

The Commission adopted the implementing regulation for the sector, Regulation (EC)
No 2316/199912 which replaced seven existing regulations.

4.2.

Wine

The common organisation of the market in wine is among the most complex and broadest
within the common agricultural policy. This is due to the fact that this COM covers not only
the traditional measures within COMs (prices, intervention, trade, etc.) but also other more
technical matters, specific to the wine sector (i.e. provisions concerning production, trade,
labelling and protection of traditional terms and oenological practices). The regulation
establishing a new common organisation of the market in wine adopted on 17 May 1999 by
the Agricultural Council entered into force on 1 August 200013. It represents a significant
legislative simplification as it replaced 23 existing Council regulations that often contained an
excessive level of detail.

10

11

12

13

Commission Regulation (EC) No 824/2000 of 19 April 2000 establishing procedures for the taking-over
of cereals by intervention agencies and laying down methods of analysis for determining the quality of
cereals (OJ L 100, 20.4.2000).
Common organisation of the market of cereals: Council Regulation (EC) No 1253/1999, amending
Regulation (EEC) No 1766/92 on the common organisation of the market of cereals and repealing
Regulation (EEC) No 2731/75 fixing standard qualities for common wheat, rye, barley, maize and
durum wheat.
Support system for producers of certain arable crops: Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999.
Quota system for the production of potato starch: Regulation (EC) No 1252/1999.
Commission Regulation (EC) No 2316/1999, of 22 October 1999, laying down detailed rules for the
application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999 establishing a support system for producers of
certain arable crops.
Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999.

8

Of the policies and measures featuring in the new COM, there are notable examples of
simplification:

–

–

–

–

–

–

the inclusion of both table wines and quality wines produced in specified regions in
the COM (quality wines were previously the subject of a separate Council
Regulation),

a clear framework for managing production potential,

basic principles of a system for restructuring and conversion: Member States are
responsible for the plans themselves,

rationalisation of distillation measures, including the removal of obsolete measures,
such as obligatory and support distillation,

removal of the complicated system of Guide Prices as the basis for market measures,
in favour of the explicit inclusion of buying-in prices (increased transparency),

basic principles for authorised Community oenological practices and processes are
established, with lists of the main oenological practices and processes and their limits
and conditions. With the exception of certain limits, the Commission rather than the
Council will be responsible for fixing and changes to the limits, in addition to
application rules.

The four main Commission implementing regulations introduced to date have replaced
36 existing Commission Regulations14. Pending the introduction of further implementing
regulations, notably for labelling, controls and trade with third countries, certain Council
Regulations or provisions of Council Regulations have been retained for transitional periods.
The reform has led to a substantial codification of wine regulations. At the same time, the new
implementing regulations intended to outline simpler frameworks for production potential,
market mechanisms, oenological practises and quality wine. However, in some cases the
implementing regulations contain very detailed rules.

In the case of all the implementing regulations, wherever information is required,
is
intended that this information will appear on Internet. This will enable easier updating of
information and, as such, is a positive example of legislative as well as administrative
simplification.

it

14

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1227/2000 of 31 May 2000 laying down detailed rules for the
application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 on the common organisation of the market in
wine, as regards production potential.
Commission Regulation (EC) No 1623/2000 of 25 July 2000 laying down detailed rules for
implementing Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine with
regard to market mechanisms.
Commission Regulation (EC) No 1622/2000 of 24 July 2000 laying down certain detailed rules for
implementing Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine and
establishing a Community code of oenological practices and processes.
Commission Regulation (EC) No 1607/2000 of 24 July 2000 laying down detailed rules for
implementing Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine, in
particular the Title relating to quality wine produced in specified regions.

9

4.3.

Flax and hemp

In July 2000, the Council15 adopted the reform of the fibre flax and hemp sector proposed by
the Commission.

From a simplification point of view, it means that, with regard to direct aid to producers, these
crops are integrated into the arable crop system as from the 2001/02 marketing year. This
implies that a single aid application per year will allow producers to obtain the area payments
including flax and hemp, compared to the three declarations per year provided for under the
present flax and hemp regime.

In addition the requirements for entitlement to the support system are simplified as far as
producers are concerned. For instance, the minimum straw yield requirements are withdrawn.

Furthermore, the number of Council regulations has been reduced since the private storage
scheme as well as the promotion scheme for fibre flax (which was financed by withholding a
percentage of the aid) have been both abolished.

4.4.

Cotton

The Commission adopted in December 1999 a proposal to reform the existing cotton regime.
The objective of the proposal is to have a new framework in place, which takes account of
environmental concerns and which keeps budgetary expenditure under control. The proposed
measures will not only simplify the conditions for fixing and granting aid, they will also bring
the legislative provisions for production aid together in one single Council regulation.

4.5.

Meat

A number of simplification measures have been taken in the meat sector during 2000, for
example:

–

–

15

in the beef sector, as far as the slaughter-premium scheme is concerned, Member
States with a computerised database may provide that information on the slaughter of
animals forwarded to the competent authorities by slaughterhouses shall be regarded
as applications on behalf of the producers; the same system may apply to the special
premium, additional payments and the deseasonalisation premium (when paid at
slaughter); Member States may allow farmers to opt for simplified application of the
extensification premium,

the export refund nomenclature for processed beef has been significantly simplified,
47 highly technical and complex product lines being reduced to 8,

Council Regulation (EC) No 1673/2000 of 27 July 2000 on the common organisation of the markets in
flax and hemp grown for fibre (OJ L 193 , 29.7.2000, p. 16).
Council Regulation (EC) No 1672/2000 of 27 July 2000 amending Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999
establishing a support system for producers of certain arable crops, to include flax and hemp grown for
fibre.

10

–

–

–

in the sheep sector, a simplification concerning the transfer of premium rights which
was requested by the UK and supported by other Member has been introduced16. An
evaluation of the sheep regime has just been completed and DG AGRI services are
presently examining the perspectives for possible amendments and simplification to
the sector,

in line with the approach followed by other sectors in Agenda 2000, the basic prices
for pigmeat and sheepmeat will no longer be fixed annually but in the respective
basic regulations without specific time limits,

the procedures for “immediate” export licences for pigmeat, eggs and poultry-meat
have been simplified and aligned with the licence system in the beef sector.

4.6.

Milk and milk products

Following the adoption of a new basic regulation in the milk sector, a substantial number of
consequential amendments to Commission implementing regulations were required. Rather
than amending existing Regulations, this opportunity was used to codify large parts of the
legislation in the dairy sector. This codification served to reduce the number of regulations,
simplify administrative procedures and harmonise administrative and control procedures
between different schemes.

In particular, Commission Regulation (EC) No 2771/199917 as regards private and public
storage of butter and cream will replace four existing regulations and Commission Regulation
(EC) No 2799/199918 on aid measures for skimmed milk and skimmed milk powder used as
animal feed will replace six existing regulations. Further simplification will be achieved in the
near future by means of a recently adopted regulation regrouping all analytical and evaluation
methods to be used for control purposes in the milk sector and by a new regulation regarding
private and public storage of skimmed milk powder.

At an administrative level, considerable efforts have been made to promote the use of
electronic data transmission for the exchange of information. This led to a significant
reduction of the administrative burden for the administrations involved.

4.7.

Fruit and vegetables

The proposal to amend the common organisation of the market for fruit and vegetables,
including processed fruit and vegetables, aims to rationalise and simplify the arrangements
and to adapt the relevant production thresholds. It will simplify and stabilise the support
scheme for producer organisations and improve the management of export refunds for fresh
fruit and vegetables.

As in the milk sector, data transmission for the exchange of information has been rationalised
and simplified.

16

17

18

Regulation (EEC) No 3567/92 has been amended by Regulation (EC) No 1311/2000.
Commission Regulation (EC) No 2771/1999 of 16 December 1999 laying down detailed rules for the
application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 as regards intervention on the market in butter
and cream.
Commission Regulation (EC) No 2799/1999 of 17 December 1999 laying down detailed rules for
applying Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 as regards the grant of aid for skimmed milk and skimmed-
milk powder intended for animal feed and the sale of such skimmed-milk powder.

11

4.8.

Rice

Under the Commission proposal of June 2000, rice will be integrated into the arable crop
system. Major advantages in terms of simplification should result from this integration.

4.9.

Sugar

In October 2000 the Commission adopted a proposal for a regulation in the sugar COM. The
future new regulation is intended to abrogate or replace at least 12 current regulations. It will
also abolish the obligation of keeping certain minimum stocks as well as the reimbursement
of the storage costs. The simplification programme of the sugar
legislation will be
permanently monitored, especially in the framework of the implementing regulations.

5.

PROPOSALS FROM THE PAYING AGENCIES AND MEASURES TAKEN BY THE
COMMISSION TO IMPLEMENT THEM

5.1.

Procedure followed

Following an invitation from DG AGRI in May 1997, the Member States' Paying Agencies
submitted proposals for legislative or administrative simplification during the autumn of that
year. These proposals were assembled into a document which was distributed in February
1998 to all the Directorates of DG AGRI for examination, and follow-up.

After a suitable interval to allow the units concerned to take appropriate action, and to take
into account the recent reform activities, a Commission staff working document has been
prepared [SEC(2000) 1775]. This working document has been submitted to the Council in
October 2000 with the intention of informing it and the original authors of the proposals of
the results of their contributions to the ongoing simplification work.

5.2.

Overview of the result of the exercise

In total the paper contains more than 200 proposals, of which over 100 have been acted upon,
i.e. fully or partly adopted or have given rise to other action.

Most of the proposals acted upon concerned measures taken in relation to Agenda 2000 and
other reforms or e.g. in connection with codification. They are, in general, well known
already by the Member States. Some of the proposals adopted were also taken into account in
drawing up DG AGRI guidelines on simplification.

Around 80 proposals have been not been taken over by the services of DG AGRI; the reasons
for the rejection of proposals have been that, according to the competent unit, the proposal:

–

–

–

–

would not imply real simplification, or

would entail additional expenditure, or

would risk reducing controls or even lead to a risk of fraud or abuse, or

has been regarded as a political issue rather than an administrative or a legislative
simplification, and therefore falls outside the scope of this exercise.

12

Around 30 proposals are still under examination or consideration. Proposals under
examination or consideration vary a lot, some of them being relatively advanced, others only
in an early state of examination.

The rest of the proposals are awaiting further clarification or discussion or falling under
national competence.

6.

OTHER SIMPLIFICATION MEASURES

The Commission would like to take this opportunity to inform the Council and the European
Parliament of some measures under preparation.

6.1.

Follow up to Council conclusions from 23 October 2000

Simplification was one of the points on the agenda for Council meeting of 23 October 2000.
Following certain proposals for simplification of procedures that have been presented by
Member States,
the Member of the Commission responsible for agriculture said the
Commission was ready to seriously consider some of them, such as:

–

–

–

–

a relaxation of the rules concerning the minimum area for obligatory set-aside along
watercourses and permanent
in the interest of environmental protection,
provided that it does not lead to additional expenditure for the community budget,

lakes,

the possibility for Member States to take into account traditional aspects of the
landscape, such as hedges and low walls, in declared areas,

clarification of the rules on non-application of sanctions in cases where an error in a
farmer's declaration is to his own detriment,

a single control inspection per farm rather than multiple inspections for each aid
scheme separately.

6.2.

Working group

During the Agriculture Council meeting of 23 October 2000, the Member of the Commission
responsible for agriculture expressed the intention of setting up an “ad hoc working group” to
analyse proposals concerning simplification of agricultural legislation. The purpose of the
group is to provide a forum for discussion and consultation with the Member States on
simplification proposals. Findings, conclusions and proposals from the group will be
presented to the appropriate bodies for decision.

The working group held its first meeting on 11 December 2000.

13

7.

CONCLUSION

As this report has shown, a large number of simplification measures have been taken or
proposed by the Commission in the last eighteen months. Some of these measures have
amounted to substantial reforms of a common organisation of the markets such as the one
concerning the flax and hemp sector, or implementation of such a reform, as in the wine
sector. A number of proposed reforms contain important elements of simplification. This is
the case for the proposals concerning sugar, rice and fruit and vegetables in particular. The
proposed Small Farmers’ Scheme is a new and innovative way to reduce the administrative
burden, first and foremost for farmers but also for the national administrations in the Member
States.

Other measures have simplified certain detailed rules or the practical application of such
rules, within an unchanged policy framework. Examples of this are the measures taken in the
cereals, meat and milk sectors. A third category of simplification measures is represented by
those taken to increase clarity, transparency, and accessibility of the agricultural legislation.

In spite of the progress made it is clear that much more need to be done.

14