The Liberal Group in the European Parliament (ALDE) is pushing for an output rather than input oriented reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) that will put an end to the wasteful and misused spending of CAP funds by EU Member States criticised heavily by the Court of Auditors in two recent reports.

An ALDE seminar tomorrow (Wednesday 08/02) will examine how CAP money is spent and allocated and how fraud, errors and inefficiencies can best be addressed by the new CAP.
 
Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy MEP (D66, Netherlands), an ALDE member of the Budgetary Control Committee who campaigns for more streamlined and efficient ways to spend EU funds, said: "Two recent critical reports from the European Court of Auditors have shown us that the current CAP system insufficiently contributes to the Treaty objectives of the CAP. Until now, Member States were able to apply the basic rules of the CAP in a too flexible way. I urge them to support a more targeted new CAP which leads to a more dynamic, innovative and sustainable agricultural sector."

Jan Mulder MEP (VVD, Netherlands), longstanding ALDE member and former chair of the Budgetary Control Committee, commented: "Farmers should be compensated for the green services they provide society. The question is how they can be rewarded in a manner which ensures an equal compensation for farmers across the European Union. This compensation cannot be equal all over the EU but should be differentiated over the regions."

George Lyon MEP (Liberal Democrats, UK), ALDE coordinator on the Agriculture Committee who opened the debate on how to reform the CAP with an own initiative report in 2010, added:
 
"This event will shine a light on whether the Commission's proposals for CAP will indeed be simpler and easier to administer both for farmers and national paying agencies. Until now, we have not heard the voice of the audit bodies or the people who are responsible for implementing the CAP reform. This hearing is the first opportunity to listen to what they have to say and draw political conclusions from there."

ENDS

Note to Editors:

The ALDE seminar on the new CAP from the Court of Auditors point of view will take place tomorrow, Wednesday 08.02.2011 from 14:30 to 18:00 in PHS5B001. For more information, please visit: http://www.alde.eu/event-seminar/events-details/article/the-new-cap-auditors-view-of-the-quality-and-efficiency-of-agriculture-expenditure-37836/