On Monday 17 March, the think-tank, Farm Europe, called on the President of the European Council, António Costa, to defend a strong budget for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) during negotiations on the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028-2034.
The European Council on 20 and 21 March will hold a preliminary discussion on the next MFF (see EUROPE 13601/19).
In this context, Farm Europe says that proposals to introduce a single fund or plan per country “undermine the Rural Development Pillar” of the CAP, with the risk of “ renationalising” EU policies and weakening the common approach and the internal market.
For the period post-2027, Farm Europe is calling for a “dedicated and adequate European budget for a genuinely common CAP”, adjusted for inflation (in constant euros), with a significant leverage effect to promote investment, territorial balance and effective risk and crisis management.
“We underline the fundamental links and coherence needed between the two pillars of the CAP to avoid complexity and fragmentation of this policy”, the letter reads.
Link to the letter: https://aeur.eu/f/fzy (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)