The value of Monitoring Committee contributions and capacity for successful implementation of CAP Strategic Plans (CSPs) was acknowledged as one of the main messages from the concluding meeting of our Thematic Group (TG) on CSP implementation. CSP Monitoring Committees can serve local, regional and national stakeholders through engagement and networking to ensure that CAP support is optimised across all interventions, including important policy novelties such as eco-schemes.

Members of the CSP implementation TG met in May to advance their earlier work, which included a number of informal sessions on key themes since the first main TG meeting. A Highlights Report of this TG’s recent second meeting will be published shortly, providing coverage of the TG’s work, including its findings.

One of these main TG messages is that everyone involved with the CAP can achieve much more by working together than by working alone, with CSP Monitoring Committees playing a key role in ensuring that this happens in practice. TG members also considered that regional needs can be reflected at national levels, including through a variety of representatives at Monitoring Committee level.

A red tractor in a field

Other key TG messages underlined the opportunities offered by strong advisory services as well as the value to be gained from investing in effort to help clearly explain CSP interventions and to ensure that regions are not left behind in the new CAP. TG members also noted how regular communication and networking about CSP implementation can help Member States stay updated, learn useful lessons and share developments about each others’ approaches and achievements.

More information from the 2nd TG meeting and TG overall can be found on the TG’s event page.