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When will the vote take place?

Once the political groups reach agreement on key aspects of the legislative package, the Agriculture Committee will hold a provisional vote on all tabled amendments and then, with a strong mandate from its members, or possibly from the whole European Parliament, start negotiations with the Council. This provisional vote is now expected to take place in November. The final committee vote on the future shape of the CAP will be held only once it is clear how much money will be available for EU farm policy in the new 2014-2020 EU long term budget (MFF). Once agreement between Parliament's and Council's negotiators is reached, it will still have to be endorsed by both institutions before entering into force.

The multiannual financial framework (MFF) defines the long-term political priorities of the EU, including agriculture and rural development, and sets annual maximum amounts ('ceilings') to be spent on them. Knowing how much money will be allocated for long-term agriculture spending is essential for laying down priorities and designing a new structure for the EU's farm policy. The Agriculture Committee will therefore not hold a final vote on the reform proposals until the MFF has been agreed.

When will the new CAP enter into force?

The new CAP is to enter into force on 1 January 2014, along with the new long-term EU budget. This means that the reform proposals will have to be approved by both Council and Parliament by mid-2013 to allow the Commission and member states to adopt implementing rules and adapt related legislation at national level.

What if takes too long to find an agreement between Parliament and Council?

If negotiations between Parliament and Council take longer than expected, the Commission must come up with a legislative proposal to find a provisional solution until the agreement on a new CAP is reached. Although Parliament remains committed to meeting the deadline of having the new CAP up and running from the first day of 2014, MEPs made it clear they will not sacrifice the quality of the reform for the sake of speedy approval

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