The European Parliament sets out its vision for the future EU agricultural policy
The MEPs propose maintaining and increasing the EU's agriculture fund beyond 2027, reducing the administrative burden on farmers and providing incentives to achieve environmental and social objectives.
They support the granting of area-based direct payments to all active and professional farmers and stress that rural development must be supported independently of cohesion policy.
Reducing the administrative burden on farmers must be one of the guiding principles of the EU's agricultural policy, MEPs believe. They call for a system based on incentives rather than obligations for farmers to achieve environmental and social objectives. MEPs therefore propose to maintain voluntary participation in organic schemes and to provide for attractive rewards. The implementation of agri-environmental conditions must take into account existing land use and farming practices, they add.
The MEPs point out that it is essential to ensure that innovative and digital solutions can be used on all types of farms in the EU to support sustainable agriculture, increase farmers' incomes and reduce the administrative workload of farmers. To avoid cumbersome farm inspection procedures, the use of EU agricultural funds must be verified through satellite images and farmers' own confirmation of compliance.
Change is important for the future of EU agriculture, but the majority of EU farmers, almost 58%, are over 55 years old, while only 6% are under 35 years old. Therefore, MEPs are proposing to increase the attractiveness of working in agriculture by means of tax and loan incentives.
EP rapporteur Carmen Crespo Diaz (European People's Party, Spain) said: "We are fighting for a fair future for European agriculture. This means a common agricultural policy that strengthens the food supply chain, supports vibrant rural communities and empowers farmers by promoting innovation, intergenerational renewal and fair market conditions. We cannot accept any cuts to the CAP or attempts to nationalise its funding or merge its funding with other EU instruments. We must protect and guarantee direct payments to farmers as the basis of their income and the most effective tool for ensuring food security and regional balance across Europe.
