1. Course
Agricultural Law
European Parliament
Brussels, 7-8 November 2016
Organised by the EIPA Consortium
under framework contract HR/R3/PR/2015/003/Lot 1
Introduction
The CAP reform of 2013 has led to a new set of four regulations complemented by both delegated
and implementing acts. This set, although useful, is highly complicated to comprehend, and

2. Course
Agricultural Law
Brussels, 7- 8 November 2016
implement for administrations and farmers alike. Thus the Commission and the Council have taken
the initiative to simplify the set of rules so as to achieve red tape reduction and easier
implementation. This Simplification project is an on-going process which started in 2015 and will go
on in 2016 and 2017 in many of the EU institutions. Consequently, lawyer-linguists need to have a
good understanding of the major points of the CAP and the rules under simplification.
Workshop aim
The main aim of the workshop is to allow participants to gain a valuable and clear insight in the
present state of play of the 2013 CAP reform, its evolution through the recent years and the real
impact of the CAP provisions. In addition, a detailed knowledge of the rules targeted for
simplification by the Commission and the Council will be provided. The program will give an overall
picture of the practical implementation issues which will allow participants to be aware of the
practical implications of the legal provisions.
Learning outcomes
The attendees will gain a better understanding of the current state of the CAP 2013 reform, the
concepts behind the legal provisions and the practical implementation issues. The seminar will raise
awareness on the complicated issues of the CAP provided under the legal set of rules and the ones
under simplification. The content will be adjusted to the work already accomplished till the date of
the seminar and any possible new initiatives announced by the Commissioner.

3. Course
Agricultural Law
Brussels, 7- 8 November 2016
Tutor
Sotirios Koutsomitros
Location
European Parliament
Brussels
Room : tbc
Contact person
Marta Piasentin
College of Europe
Bruges (BE)
E-mail: Marta.Piasentin@coleurope.eu
Tel.: +32 50 47 73 07

4. Course
Agricultural Law
Brussels, 7- 8 November 2016
Programme
Day 1
09.00 Welcome and Introduction: The context of briefing
09.30 The EU CAP: General background, Scope, Historical evolution and possible development
The CAP is one of the strongest and oldest policies of the European Union. We will discuss the need for the
policy, the general principles, the concepts, the driving forces, the impacts and the evolution of the policy
through the years. Thus the participants will have a general overview of the policy framework and the possible
debates on course.
11.00 Coffee break
11.30 The Regulatory Status: The CAP reform of 2013.
Overview of the regulations implementing the new CAP for Direct Payments, Rural Development, the
Common market and horizontal issues as well as the implementing regulations. We will mention examples of
complicated issues which pose a burden to farmers and administrations and consequently need to be simplified.
The presentation will be adjusted to include issues addressed by the most recent initiatives of the Commissioner
and the European Parliament.
13.00 Lunch break
14.30 Horizontal provisions of the CAP with emphasis on cross Compliance (incl. animal health issues)
The Horizontal regulation is the basis for the CAP regulations setting the implementation foundation for
everything. This regulation is the newest addition to the regulatory framework and its need derives from the
complementarity of the various CAP measures. We will discuss the aspects covered by the horizontal
regulation and use Cross Compliance as an example of how it relates to all schemes.
15.45 Coffee break
16.00 The scope of the Simplification Process the procedure and the main principles:
This session includes the reasons why the simplification is thought as necessary by farmers and national
administrations and the Commission. It will address the scope, the process and the steps which will be taken or
have already been taken.
17.00 End of day 1

5. Course
Agricultural Law
Brussels, 7- 8 November 2016
Day 2
09.00 Α systematic approach to direct payments implementation (and legislative framework underpinning it)
We will try to depict the practical and realistic implications of the legal provisions within the relevant
regulations (Reg. 1307/2013. Reg. 639/2014, 640/2014). Three viewpoints will be used:
• The concepts underlying the legal provisions and their evolution when drafting the regulation,
• The impact of the reformed regulation to farmers and the countryside, and
• The impact on administration and management of funds
11.00 Coffee break
11.30 Rural development (EAFRD). How complementary is it with Direct Payments?
The most popular motto accompanying the discussions on the two pillars of the CAP is “the two pillars are
complementary to one another”. We will examine how this can function both through the regulation texts and in
practice. A problem when using two pillars is the need to avoid double funding of the same or relative actions.
We will examine how the issue of double funding can be addressed more effectively, through texts and
administrative tasks which follow the legal texts.
13.00 Lunch break
14.00 Current Simplification of the CAP: Scope, accomplished and forthcoming tasks for Direct
payments, greening the CMO and Rural Development rules.
We will explain the reasoning and the effect of the initiatives and the modifications already accomplished.
Particular emphasis will be put on Greening, and penalties of direct payments which are already in the pipeline
of simplification. We will also deal with the issues simplified or under simplification within the CMO and
Rural Development regulation. Emphasis will be put on the procedures regarding public intervention and
private storage, import and export licences and producer organisations. The participants will gain a full
understanding of the issues and the effects of the simplification process.
15.30 Q&A - Conclusions
16.00 End of the course

6. Course
Agricultural Law
Brussels, 7- 8 November 2016
Day 2
09.00 Α systematic approach to direct payments implementation (and legislative framework underpinning it)
We will try to depict the practical and realistic implications of the legal provisions within the relevant
regulations (Reg. 1307/2013. Reg. 639/2014, 640/2014). Three viewpoints will be used:
• The concepts underlying the legal provisions and their evolution when drafting the regulation,
• The impact of the reformed regulation to farmers and the countryside, and
• The impact on administration and management of funds
11.00 Coffee break
11.30 Rural development (EAFRD). How complementary is it with Direct Payments?
The most popular motto accompanying the discussions on the two pillars of the CAP is “the two pillars are
complementary to one another”. We will examine how this can function both through the regulation texts and in
practice. A problem when using two pillars is the need to avoid double funding of the same or relative actions.
We will examine how the issue of double funding can be addressed more effectively, through texts and
administrative tasks which follow the legal texts.
13.00 Lunch break
14.00 Current Simplification of the CAP: Scope, accomplished and forthcoming tasks for Direct
payments, greening the CMO and Rural Development rules.
We will explain the reasoning and the effect of the initiatives and the modifications already accomplished.
Particular emphasis will be put on Greening, and penalties of direct payments which are already in the pipeline
of simplification. We will also deal with the issues simplified or under simplification within the CMO and
Rural Development regulation. Emphasis will be put on the procedures regarding public intervention and
private storage, import and export licences and producer organisations. The participants will gain a full
understanding of the issues and the effects of the simplification process.
15.30 Q&A - Conclusions
16.00 End of the course