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Euro-MPs will have a much greater influence on EU cereal policy decisions once the new EU Lisbon Reform Treaty is introduced in 2009. Day-to-day decisions on managing the EU grain market will meanwhile continue to be taken under the EU Commission's competences in the Single CMO Management Committee.
The new EU Lisbon Reform Treaty, which was signed in Lisbon by heads of state and governments last December and has been ratified by seven member states, is designed to make the EU decision-making procedure more efficient and give EU parliament a stronger and wider role. The Treaty will generalise the EU co-decision-making procedure, which will give MEPs much more say in agriculture decisions and consequently lengthen the decision-making process. EU and national Parliaments will see their political roles considerably strengthened.
Longer-Term Decisions
In general, longer-term EU policy decisions on agriculture issues need a proposal from the EU Commission and approval from EU Agriculture Ministers as well as an opinion from MEPs in order for them to be introduced. A qualified majority vote is also needed from EU Ministers on agriculture matters for the EU legislation to be agreed.
The new EU Lisbon Reform Treaty, however, will give Euro-MPs opinion on agriculture policy a much greater weight. The Treaty will also allow more decisions in other sectors to be made by qualified majority voting, instead of by unanimous consent. Qualified-majority voting will be based on the principle of the double majority. This means decisions will need the support of 55% of member states representing 65% of the EU's population. The new Treaty will limit the power of individual member states to veto legislation. Furthermore, the Treaty will ensure that there is a president of the EU Council who will represent national governments and a high representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, who will be in charge of the EU's foreign policy.
The Reform Treaty will also enhance Parliamentary control of EU trade policy, as it substantially increases EU Parliament's role. From 2014, the Commission will be reduced in size. There will no longer be a Commissioner to represent every member country - but two-thirds the number of member states. The Treaty has so far been ratified by seven member states, including Poland, France, Hungary, Malta, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, and it is set to be introduced in 2009.
Day-to-Day Decisions
Day-to-day decisions on EU cereals policy, such as grain exports, will meanwhile continue to be taken under the EU Commission's competences. Decisions on managing the EU grain market are taken at the EU Commission's Single 'Common Market Organisation Management Committee'. The Management Committee for all agriculture products was formed after Ministers agreed last year to Commission plans to create a single common market organisation (CMO) for all agriculture products. The single CMO, which replaced the previous 21 individual CMOs for agricultural products, includes rules on the EU public intervention system, marketing and quality standards, import and export rules, safeguard measures. The Committee includes two government experts from each member state. The Committees role will however be greatly reduced if the Commission's CAP health check proposal, which aims to phase out the EU intervention system for most cereals, is agreed by Ministers by the end of this year. | |
