In one of the few official acknowledgements that progress of the current Common Agricultural Policy reform process has been slow, the Commission announced plans for 2014 to be a 'transitional' year, which would enable farmers and state agencies time to acclimatise to changes.

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This CAP reform process has been the first in which the European Parliament has had an equal stake. Continued discord over the future direction agriculture policy should take in Europe has delayed the process considerably and officials have now acknowledged a new CAP will not be ready for implementation on 1st January next year, when the current CAP phase ends   

On Thursday, the Commission published proposals to make 2014 a transition year, allowing CAP measures to be gradually introduced. Many key decisions on future policies have not yet been made. The Commission proposed "New rules, for example those relating to Greening, would therefore not apply until the start of 2015, thereby allowing Paying Agencies more time to prepare for these changes."

The EU executive said in a statement that it is "working intensively with the European Parliament and the Council to reach a political agreement on CAP reform – and remains optimistic that this can be concluded before the end of June." However, in its statement the Commission went on to suggest that, even if new regulations are in place in January 2014, Member States' administrative bodies may not be prepared.

The proposals also cover new transitional rules for Croatia and the direct payments scheme. Under the Commission's planned transitional measures, moves towards a fairer distribution of funds for direct payments between Member States –called "external convergence" – will begin in 2014.

Commenting on the new proposals, EU Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Cioloş said on Thursday, "The motto for Direct Payments in 2014 will be 'existing rules, new budget', because it is important that Paying Agencies have time to get administrative arrangements in place and guarantee the proper management of EU funds, and farmers are clear on the new rules and not pushed into something new before it's ready."

Meanwhile, following the publication of the Parliament's proposals last month, trilateral negotiations on the precise changes CAP reform will bring are ongoing between the EU's Parliament, Council and Commission.