Hogan identified simplification as one of his priorities but one of the problems of trying to negotiate with 28 different member states and 750 MEPs is that everybody wants something different.

“If you were to keep everybody happy you would need four CAPs,” said a member of Commissioner Hogan’s cabinet, speaking to journalists in Brussels last week. “What we have is an incredibly complex system, whether that’s administered through here or through the member states. You have a lot of member states opting out of facilities available because they regard them as too complicated . Farmers are being driven insane by some of the red tape and rules they have to apply. There is kind of a fear factor among farmers because of audit requirements, penalties and the prospect of losing out on payments.”

Hogan’s cabinet has identified three areas where simplification is needed. The first is the basic act, which involves legislation such as Commission and Council regulations and directives.

“In terms of trying to make life simpler, you can either revisit the regulations and re-draft primary legislation,” said Hogan’s cabinet member. “There is no appetite to do that because people who were involved in the CAP negotiations in the first place spent two and a half years doing it. It only came into place on 1 January 2015. There is a fatigue in all institutions about revisiting those. They are to one side, we are not doing anything fundamental.”

The second area is in delegating and implementing acts, where Hogan’s cabinet “will be making proposals.”

Simplified guidelines expected in early 2016

The third is in the area of guidelines, which are non-statutory.

“We have issued revised guidelines earlier this year in an effort to simplify the requirements both on administrations and on beneficiaries,” said the member of cabinet. “The second set of measures is something that Hogan will talk about in Council in November, where the presidency has put a specific agenda item on simplification. We will publish a series of measures in early 2016.”

“When you are striking compromises between institutions you don’t always get a very elegant solution. This was the first CAP that Parliament was a full co-legislator with the same involvement as the council,” the Commission official added.