On Wednesday 31 August, the European Commission approved the first set of strategic plans implementing the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). These are the strategic plans of seven EU countries: Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Poland, Portugal and Spain.
The Commission considers that these decisions represent “an important step” for the implementation of the new CAP from 1 January 2023.
The CAP will benefit from €270 billion of funding for the period 2023-2027. The seven plans approved today represent a budget of more than €120 billion, of which more than €34 billion is dedicated to environmental and climate objectives and eco-schemes. Between 86 and 97% of the national utilised agricultural area will be farmed under good agricultural and environmental conditions. Substantial funding will also support the development of organic production, with most countries aiming to double or even triple their organic farming area.
In the context of the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the current commodity surge, the Commission invited Member States to use all the possibilities offered by their CAP strategic plans to strengthen the resilience of their agricultural sector and promote food security. This includes reducing dependence on synthetic fertilisers and increasing renewable energy production without compromising food production, as well as promoting sustainable production methods.
Having approved the first seven CAP strategic plans, the Commission remains fully committed to a rapid approval of the remaining 21 plans, taking into account the quality and speed of the reactions following the Commission’s comments (see EUROPE 12995/13).
Overview of these seven strategic plans: https://aeur.eu/f/2vc (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)