Agro Perspectiva

An ambitious vision for agriculture that seeks to reconnect with on-the-ground realities cannot ignore the debate on the CAP budget

26.02.2025 09:47 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) — The European Commission unveiled a key communication, long trailed by Ursula von der Leyen, outlining the EU’s vision for agriculture and food policy. This roadmap represents a pragmatic reset based on relevant analysis and grounded observations and proposes an ambitious catalog of future work strands. However, it fails to address the elephant in the room: the future CAP budget and the resources needed to finance this package of measures.

In its assessment of the current situation, the Commission appears to have regained its bearings in agricultural policy and is now speaking a different language. The importance of agriculture-its role and vulnerabilities-within the current geopolitical context is now fully acknowledged. Commissioner Hansen’s approach rightly repositions agriculture as a key strategic asset and a pillar of European sovereignty. Farmers are also recognized as entrepreneurs and innovators who play a crucial role in addressing climate challenges, protecting the environment, supporting the bioeconomy, and contributing to society as a whole. The Commission has also correctly diagnosed the sector’s demographic and economic fragilities, bringing the issues of farm income, competitiveness, innovation, cooperation and generational renewal back to the fore.

Political will, starting with a focus on simplification, also forms part of the picture. We welcome the need for stricter alignment of production standards for imported goods, particularly concerning plant protection products and animal welfare based on stronger and more comprehensive impact assessments, which should be published prior to any major trade decisions. The principle of ‘no bans without viable alternatives’ for plant protection products is explicitly stated, as is the need for a renewed approach toward the livestock sector.

Yet despite these positive elements, today’s announcement misses a fundamental part of the equation. In the current context, it is impossible to ignore the ongoing debate over CAP financing in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). Last week, Copa Cogeca warned of the dangers of merging funds and establishing single budgetary national plans. However, today’s vision makes no mention of the CAP budget and references to the second pillar and its funding are simply absent from the final version of the communication. The complementarity between the EAGF delivering on support and the EAFRD facilitating multiannual measures and investment is crucial for the sector and must be maintained.

Let’s be clear: ambitions and proposals will amount to little without a robust CAP. One which supports active farmers — regardless the size — and is backed by an increased budget in the post-2027 MFF. This budget must include automatic corrections for inflation and the growing responsibilities placed on agriculture. Without this, Europe’s farming communities will face significant challenges, and the vision for the sector’s future risks becoming a hollow promise.

What we need now is more than just a change in rhetoric. We need to rebuild trust with concrete actions and coherence across all these proposals, including those outside of the CAP framework. The vision is a step forward, but the key ‘enablers’ needed to bring it to life remain to be defined.

Copa and Cogeca stand ready to be a proactive and constructive partner, working with all EU institutions to ensure that the realities of farmers and agricultural cooperatives are represented and addressed effectively.