Press Release: Commission proposals for CAP transition rules in 2014

The European Commission published proposals on 18 April 2013 to provide transitional arrangements in 2014 for certain Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) rules, notably the system of Direct Payments.

Although the Commission is working intensively with the European Parliament and the Council to reach a political agreement on CAP reform – and remains optimistic that this can be concluded before the end of June – so that the new legal regulations can be in place from January 1, 2014, it is not realistic for Member States to have all the necessary administrative procedures in place by the start of next year. In order to ensure continuity, transitional rules are therefore required for some elements of policy, most obviously for the system of direct payments.

This would mean that the existing rules of the Single Payment Scheme, the SAPS (Single Area Payment Scheme) system and payments targeted under "Article 68" will continue in the 2014 claim year. New rules, for example those relating to Greening, would therefore not apply until the start of 2015, thereby allowing Paying Agencies more time to prepare for these changes.