EPTV's panel of agricultural experts give us the big picture on why EU farmers need the CAP today, and analyse the future of the policy and of the farmers themselves.

360°: How exactly does the Common Agricultural Policy work?

Hello, and welcome  to another edition of 360°

which today is devoted to  the Common Agricultural Policy, the CAP.

At the end of 2011, the Commission  presented its new reform plan,

which it calls a new partnership  for Europe and farmers.

What will be its future  and, above all, that of farmers?

To discuss it  and to cast light on the topic,

I have with me two specialists in the area.

You're an MEP. You were an adviser  to Agriculture Minister, Hervé Gaymard,

And with this background, I think you're  the person we needed in this studio.

You're the President of the Farmers'  Union of Wallonia, in Belgium.

You also have a lot to do  with the Commission at the moment,

given the plans that have been presented.  -Absolutely.

I'd like us to watch this report  by Jakub Iwaniuk,

who took up the challenge  of answering the question:

Is the Common Agricultural Policy  going to disappear in the future?

The CAP certainly won't disappear  but there are plans to reform it.

It's one of the oldest and until recently  the most important common EU policy.

Its aim is to increase  the productivity of agriculture

and to guarantee the security of supplies.

These tools make up one of  the most integrated European policies.

These farmers will tell you that almost  all decisions are made in Brussels.

Since its creation in 1962,  the CAP has been reformed continually,

to adapt to the evolving  agricultural market.

The percentage of the CAP in  the budget has decreased steadily,

in favour of other EU policies,  from 80% in 1969 to 40% today.

But the CAP subsidies are constantly  increasing each year,

due to the enlargement of the EU. These  numerous reforms have a shared aim,

to bring EU policy in line  with international trade rules.

The WTO has forced us to change  our methods but not our objectives.

The guaranteed price measure  is replaced by decoupled direct aid,

meaning payment is not  linked to production.

This has given the EU more room  for manoeuvre to cut import duties.

For 20 years, the WTO has been forcing  EU agriculture in line with the market.

But internal pressures  are also strong.

Some European countries, led by Britain,  are urging the reform of the system.

the second 'pillar' of the CAP  is rural development.

Aid is increasingly subject to the sound  management of natural resources,

spatial planning and  respect for animal welfare.

Despite favouring  intensive farming from the start,

the CAP is gradually becoming  a promoter of environmental standards.

In summary, the CAP comprises  a smaller part of the EU budget,

it has had several reforms  due to pressure from the WTO

and it is more respectful  of the environment.

The 27 EU countries have until 2014  to come to an agreement on it,

as part of the review  of the Community budget.

Michel Dantin, you saw the report. It feels  like the CAP is always being reformed.

Why is it always being reformed?  What's behind it all?

If the world didn't change,  no doubt the CAP wouldn't change either.

Farming and the demands of society  have evolved over the last 50 years.

I'd like to emphasise  one fundamental change in recent years.

It's true that for 20 years  here in the EU institutions

people have thought that farming was  intended to produce goods, commodities,

But in the decade that just went by  the world changed.

First there were the great climate crises  that affected global stocks.

Secondly, there are new clients  in the global market.

These clients come  and compete against us

in purchases we want to make abroad,  like soya beans, for example.

we need to ensure  Europe's food independence.

I'm often ashamed to say this to farmers,

but 20 years ago no document from  the Commission included this sentence

which is the first in the Commission's  communication dated 12 October 2011:

'The aim of European farming  and the CAP

is to ensure the food security  of 500 million Europeans.'

That's something  that needs to be emphasised

because it somehow gives back to farmers  the real vocation of their work

René Ladouce, do you think that's right?

People talk about greening,  you're becoming great gardeners.

It's clear that in the presentation of  the future CAP there is specific mention

of the role of food security or food  self-sufficiency for our European citizens.

That's a fact. But, as you say, there are  contradictions in this presentation

and I'm not sure that the policy proposed  in relation to greening...

Moreover, when I see the meetings  that we have at European level

with my European colleagues,  including my French friends, etc.

the representatives of the 27 countries,

absolutely all of them are against  the wording concerning greening.

I want to come back to the idea  that you're here to feed the planet,

but you can't do it alone.  You constantly need subsidies.

Some say that farmers  have never been better off

when you compare it  to 30 or 40 years ago.

But somehow the European Union still  has to subsidise European farming.

So in theory, unlike other producers of  things, you're unable to produce alone.

Obviously we would like  not to live on subsidies.

I would prefer to sell  my milk, poultry, pigs and meat...

I would prefer to sell at a price  that paid me properly.