Future CAP proposal aims to protect Sustainability and Resilience in Farming

The European Commission has announced more details of its proposal for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2027, setting out a simpler, more balanced framework designed to strengthen the sustainability and resilience of European farming between 2028 and 2034.

The CAP will remain one of the EU's key budget priorities, supporting food production and climate action. It aims to give farmers tools to improve their environmental performance while maintaining flexibility for Member States to adapt measures to national and local conditions.

At the core of the proposal is a more targeted approach to key environmental and climate priorities. This includes climate mitigation and adaptation, soil and water protection, biodiversity, animal welfare, and the growth of organic and low-impact farming systems. A new "farm stewardship" system will replace the current conditionality with the aim of ensuring a common baseline of basic environmental protection across the EU while reducing complexity with more leeway to adapt practices to national contexts.

Farmers receiving CAP payments will have to respect standards on environment, animal welfare, and social rights. However, smaller and organic farms will face fewer obligations. For the first time, farmers will be able to receive direct support for implementing protective practices under the "farm stewardship", helping them to afford the costs of greener farming methods.

The proposal also includes a new set of agri-environmental and climate actions (AECA), merging existing environmental commitments into a single framework with the aim of rewarding farmers for their efforts on climate and environmental goals. It also introduces transition payments to cover the costs of shifting to more sustainable agroecological models such as organic farming. Special emphasis will be placed on extensive livestock systems, recognising their value in protecting biodiversity, landscapes, and carbon-rich grasslands.

The plan also continues to provide investment support for farmers and foresters to improve environmental performance and competitiveness, while promoting innovation, training, and knowledge building.

With the next CAP cycle, the EU intends to align farming policy more closely than ever with climate objectives. The Commission's proposal ensures that agriculture will remain both economically viable and environmentally sound and keeps farmers at the core of the continent's green transition.