Accession negotiations

Agriculture and Rural Development chapter

Legal framework

The agricultural and rural development chapter includes a large number of binding rules, many of which are regulations that are directly applicable. The proper application of these rules and their effective enforcement by an efficient public administration is essential for the functioning of the CAP. This includes the laws governing management systems such as a paying agency and the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS), and also the capacity to implement rural development actions. EU membership requires the integration of a range of agricultural products, including arable crops, sugar, animal products and specialised crops, into the common organisation of the market.

Administrative structures

The implementation, management and control of the CAP require the creation, modification and/or strengthening of appropriate administrative structures (e.g. Paying Agency and IACS). In some cases, the "acquis" sets out detailed specifications for the required administrative structures.

For other elements the CAP acquis simply uses terms such as the "competent authority" to refer to the administrative structure that is needed. It is left to each Member State to designate the institution responsible for effective implementation of the "acquis". However, the acquis specifies the objectives to be attained and the functions to be ensured by an adequate administrative body in the Member States.

Screening

Before launching the negotiations on a given chapter, the Commission conducts a "screening" exercise, which is the formal and technical procedure for assessing the current level of alignment of each candidate country with the acquis, both as regards legislation and institutional capacities.

The findings of the screening for each chapter are highlighted in a screening report, in which the Commission proposes whether to start negotiations on this chapter if it considers that sufficient progress has been made by the candidate country to permit meaningful accession negotiations. Where progress is considered insufficient, the Commission recommends that the Council establishes certain conditions ("benchmarks") to be met before negotiations can start in the given chapter.

Negotiations

Once the Commission and the Council have satisfied themselves that the country is sufficiently prepared for negotiations on the agriculture and rural development chapter, the Presidency invites the candidate country to submit its negotiating position to the Accession Conference with a view to opening the chapter. The EU agrees on European Common Positions in response to the candidate country's negotiating position. Only then are the accession negotiations in a specific chapter considered open.

Negotiations take place between the EU Member States and the individual candidate country in the framework of the Accession Conference. The Commission prepares the European Union negotiating positions and, in parallel, guides the candidate countries in gradually complying with the legal framework and administrative structures required by the "acquis".

Accession negotiations in the agricultural chapter focus mainly on the conditions and timing of the adoption, implementation and application of the "acquis" by the candidate countries. Any candidate must accept the rights and obligations of membership, which means that these rules as such are not negotiable. Negotiations therefore focus on the procedures for future direct payments, support to rural development or on the need for transitional measures facilitating integration into the EU, taking into account the specific circumstances of the agricultural sector in the candidate countries in the process.