The European Commission’s proposals for the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), unveiled on Wednesday 16 July, have provoked a barrage of criticism from EU farmers.
The plan, deemed “unacceptable’ by many MEPs and representatives of the farming world, provides for a 20% reduction in the budget for the period 2028-2034, the abolition of the second pillar devoted to rural development, and the renationalisation of the CAP, leaving each Member State to draw up its own plan - a prospect feared to fragment the common policy.
The EU’s agricultural organisations (Copa-Cogeca), which demonstrated outside the Commission’s offices on Wednesday, condemned it as a “black Wednesday for European agriculture”. In their view, the Commission is dismantling the very foundations of the CAP. The main victims, they warn, will be “family farms—the cornerstone of our model”.
Via Campesina is promising further mobilisations in the autumn. The organisation describes the budget proposal as “disastrous”, stating that it betrays the EU’s political objectives and the commitments made as part of the ‘strategic dialogue’ on the future of agriculture. It also warns of the risks to farmers’ incomes as a result of the abolition of the budgets earmarked for agri-environmental and climate measures, which it deems “dangerous and irresponsible”.
IFOAM, for its part, is calling for at least a third of the future CAP budget to be devoted to protecting ecosystem services, including organic farming. “Without a clear focus on sustainability, a race to the bottom between Member States is inevitable”, it warns.
The Farm Europe think tank also condemned the “betrayal” of the farmers mobilised in the spring of 2024. In particular, it is critical of the degressivity and capping of aid, which it deems to be “out of touch with reality” and contrary to the objective of giving priority to supporting producers. According to its analysis, payments would start to fall from 80 hectares upwards.
CEJA (European Council of Young Farmers) is more cautious. It welcomes the simplification effort and the doubling of the share of aid for generational renewal (from 3% to 6% of direct payments). However, it deplores the “fragile governance” of the system, which it says leaves too much to the discretion of the Member States, resulting in increased complexity.
Origin of agricultural products. In addition to the proposal (https://aeur.eu/f/hwz ) on the reform of the CAP (see EUROPE 13682/4), the Commission has tabled a proposal (https://aeur.eu/f/hx0 ) for a targeted revision of the regulation on the Common Market Organisation (CMO). The Commissioner for Agriculture, Christophe Hansen, stressed on Wednesday that provisions are planned to “encourage the development of the plant protein sector”, while at the same time ensuring the necessary protection of the animal sector, in particular through “rules on meat designations and the creation of a legal basis for introducing origin labelling of products in the future”.
The rules governing school supply programmes have also been amended to give preference to products of European origin. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)