The agriculture ministers of the European Union have closed their common position on the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the period 2028-2034, introducing changes to the aid scheme in order to strengthen support for active farmers and promote generational renewal. However, the financial aspects and the caps on the subsidies that farms will be able to receive remain unspecified.
The understanding reached, which enables the Council to start negotiations with the European Parliament, is of a partial nature as it leaves out the budgetary elements, which will be addressed within the debate on the next multiannual financial framework. At the same time, it lays the groundwork for a reform that foresees greater flexibility for each member state to adapt support measures to the specific needs of its agricultural sector.
The future CAP is part of the European Commission's proposal to reorganize the use of community funds starting in 2028, which aims to integrate resources directed towards agriculture, cohesion, fishing, migration, and security, among other policies, into national and regional plans that would replace the current separate programs.
This redesign would imply abandoning the two-pillar structure that currently governs agricultural policy, based on one fund for direct payments and another for rural development, to merge both instruments into a single financing framework.
Support for small farms and young farmers
Among the most relevant changes is the revision of payments associated with agricultural area, with which it seeks to distribute aid in a "fairer and more effective" manner, according to the Council, and to direct it more towards small farms and young people entering agricultural activity.
With this objective, the Twenty-Seven propose that all countries must set a definition of active farmer, although with room to adapt it to their national realities, and open the door to introducing redistributive mechanisms that allow adjusting the distribution of funds among the different beneficiaries.
In parallel, the rules for gradually reducing the higher amount of aid and establishing a maximum limit per farm will be discussed in a later phase, along with the rest of the provisions linked to the community budget.
As for the generational change, the Council's position requires member States to design specific strategies to facilitate the entry of young people into the field, which include an increase in basic aids, support for the establishment of their farms, and access to training and technical advice programs.
Biodiversity, natural resources, and risk management
The reform maintains common environmental requirements to qualify for European funding, as well as incentives to promote practices that contribute to biodiversity and the protection of natural resources, although it leaves room for national authorities to adjust its application to local conditions.
The text also reinforces risk management instruments against extreme weather phenomena, animal and plant diseases, or market disturbances, which can jeopardize the income of farms.
Specifically, it is planned to support agricultural insurance and investments aimed at reducing the effects of climate change and facilitating the adaptation of the sector, in addition to authorizing governments to grant emergency payments to producers affected by natural disasters and other exceptional situations.
States will also have the option to create temporary replacement services so that agricultural workers have replacement personnel during sick leave or maternity and childcare leave, a tool with which the Council intends to promote the reconciliation of work and family life.
Finally, ministers have supported continuing to finance projects aimed at diversifying the economy of rural areas, especially the most disadvantaged, through initiatives linked to agritourism, innovation, and digitalization.