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MEPs have voted to dedicate 20% of the direct payments budget towards eco-schemes in a European Parliament agriculture committee vote on 2 April.
The eco-scheme should aim to support the environment, climate and animal welfare measures.
MEPs also voted that at least 30% of the rural development budget should be dedicated to all types of environmental and climate related measures.
Although the vote is essentially an MEP wishlist for the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), with 27 votes in favour of the proposals (against 17) ,it provides a strong indication of where the state of play is heading.
Swapping money between pillars
MEPs backed a Commission proposal to permit a transfer of up to 15% of direct payments between Pillar I and Pillar II, but insisted that the transferred money could only be used for eco-schemes.
However, they stipulated that just 5% of funds could be transferred from Pillar II to Pillar I.
They made an exception for Croatia, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, who they allowed could transfer up to 15% of money from Pillar II to Pillar I, on the provision it was for eco-schemes.
SHARING OPTIONS: