Allocation of EAFRD funding over the two transitional years 2021 and 2022

Subject: Allocation of EAFRD funding over the two transitional years 2021 and 2022

Consternation has been caused by a proposal from the Emilia-Romagna Joint Committee on Agriculture during internal deliberations between the Italian regions on the future distribution of EAFRD resources earmarked for regional RDPs over the two transitional years 2021 and 2022.

The proposed new arrangements would revolutionise the distribution of EAFRD appropriations to the regions, with gross marketable production (GMP) being factored in for the purposes of calculating the distribution ratio,

effectively depriving certain regions of over EUR 100 million over the two years in question. For example, Campania would lose almost EUR 153 million, Sicily almost EUR 124 million, Puglia EUR 32.8 million, Basilicata EUR 31.3 million, Umbria EUR 30.6 million and Calabria EUR 29.8 million.

It goes without saying that, if this new method of calculation were approved, the resulting losses and gains would both be much higher following the transition period.

In view of this:

1. Does the Commission consider this proposals to be in line with the objectives and priorities set out in Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013?

2. Does it consider the proposal to be in line with Regulation (EU) 2020/2220 of 23 December 2020 governing CAP transition arrangements?

3. Does it not consider that the arrangements applicable in the current programming period 2014- 2020 should continue to apply over the two-year transition period?

Answer given by Mr Wojciechowski on behalf of the European Commission (3 March 2021)

Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 (1) indicates the breakdown by Member State of the financial resources of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) for the years 2014-2020 and stipulates that a Member State may submit either a single rural development programme (RDP) for its entire territory or a set of regional programmes.

The same regulation does not stipulate how the breakdown of the national EAFRD allocation among these regional programmes should be defined. Therefore, in the programming period 2014-2020 as in the previous periods, for Member States with regionalised RDPs, the breakdown of EAFRD is decided by the Member States’ authorities.

The ‘transitional regulation’ (2) stipulates the breakdown by Member State of the EAFRD financial resources for the years 2021 and 2022.

The provisions of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 concerning the breakdown of the national EAFRD allocation among regional programmes are not amended by Regulation (EU) 2020/2220 and thus continue to apply in the transition period (programming years 2021 and 2022).

In order to allocate the 2021 and 2022 resources, Member States must amend their RDPs. So far, Italy has not submitted its requests to amend RDPs to the Commission.

⋅1∙ OJ L 347,20.12.2013.

⋅2∙ Regulation (EU) No 2020/2220 amending Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013.