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Approaching an end the Irish Presidency, the discussions regarding the final issues of the Common agricultural policy (CAP) and the Common fisheries policy (CFP) reforms take the very intensive breath.

Concerning the latest, the 13-14th of May EU agriculture and fisheries council is the last one during this semester. Ireland is expecting to obtain the EU Council support for the renewed negotiations mandate and to finalize the negotiations with the European Parliament and the Commission. Otherwise the political negotiations regarding the open questions should be continued during Lithuanian presidency.

„I encourage the ministries to be constructive and to remember that the compromised agreements always rely on the bilateral concessions”, – with support to Irish presidency said minister Vigilijus Jukna, presenting Lithuania‘s position at the Council.

A lot of ministers agree that the negotiations on CFP has reached the crucial moment thus are ready for the overnight discussions looking for flexible and the most acceptable for all member states EU Council position. It’s obvious that the upcoming weeks while negotiating with the European Parliament and the Commission regarding the future of fisheries are crucial for the whole EU fisheries sector.

 The trilogues with the European Parliament and the Commission on CAP reform certain issues are getting the speed. At the EU Council the ministers have discussed the possible flexibility of the following CAP issues: the young farmers’ scheme, the small farmers’ scheme and the definition of ‘active farmer’.

Discussions on the open CAP questions will be of the main interest during informal EU agriculture and fisheries council in Dublin at the end of May. “I truly hope that the member states will be very flexible and an overall political agreement will be achieved by the end of June. Therefore we would be responsible for the agreement on the transitional Common agricultural policy reform provisions of rural development, direct payments, common organization of the markets and horizontal regulations”, – minister V. Jukna pointed out.