The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, has celebrated the partial agreement reached by the Council of Ministers of Agriculture of the European Union on the architecture of the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), approved unanimously by the 27 Member States after 12 hours of negotiations.
"We have managed to maintain the CAP as a European policy. We have achieved a fundamental objective, that what appeared blurred in the initial proposal of the European Commission in July 2025, is today a solid, European regulation," Planas pointed out at the end of the meeting held in Luxembourg.
The head of Agriculture has expressed his satisfaction with the result because "this pact incorporates the main lines defended by Spain and agreed upon with the autonomous communities, the agricultural professional organizations, and the agri-food cooperatives."
The pact is still partial, as the regulation must be approved by co-decision alongside the European Parliament, with which discussions will begin in January 2027. Likewise, its implementation will depend on the agreement on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034 that the heads of State and Government must finalize in the European Council, which has two summits scheduled before the end of the year and will be key to setting the economic resources of the next CAP.
Planas recalled that, at the beginning of these discussions, in July 2025, the Spanish Government put forward a proposal based on three axes: a "strong" community agricultural policy with a "sufficient" budget; a "fully European and flexible" CAP in its application in each country; and the need to prevent any process of renationalization.
This proposal had the unanimous support of the regional councilors, the four agricultural professional organizations (Asaja, COAG, UPA, and Unión de Uniones), and Agri-food Cooperatives.
As the minister explained, the commitment sealed last night responds to the second and third points of that Spanish position, while the financial chapter remains pending and will be resolved by the European leaders in the European Council.
In statements to RNE collected by Europa Press, the head of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has reiterated that the understanding reached "maintains the CAP as a European policy," something that, he recalled, was not guaranteed "a year and a half ago when the Commission made its proposals": "Now we have achieved a truly European policy."
Planas has added that the text still lacks the closure of the European Council and the negotiation with the European Parliament to become the regulation that will govern the next CAP. "This CAP must be the CAP of young people. We want to dedicate at least 10% of the funds to the incorporation of young people," he emphasized.