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This week, the European Commission presented its official proposal for the EU budget for the 2028–2034 period, which includes a major overhaul of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The most significant change is the integration of the CAP into a new "Single Fund", which would also encompass regional cohesion funds, effectively ending the current two-pillar structure (direct payments and rural development).
Under this new model, Member States would manage agricultural funds directly through National and Regional Partnership Plans, with funding linked to measurable objectives and performance-based results. In practice, Brussels would step back from imposing common EU-wide conditions, shifting more responsibility to national authorities.
The Commission has proposed a CAP budget of €300 billion, representing a reduction of over 20% compared to the 2021–2027 period. While direct payments would remain a priority line, the overall cut and the weakening of a shared European framework have triggered serious concerns within the sector.
According to the Commission, the goal is to simplify administration, improve efficiency, and give countries more autonomy. However, several Spanish regions — including Aragón and Castilla y León — have already rejected the proposal, warning of the risks it poses to family farming and rural development.
At the same time, Copa-Cogeca, the main European organisation representing farmers and agri-cooperatives, has denounced the Commission’s proposal as “the worst reform of the CAP to date”. The organisation warns that it represents the dismantling of the common character of European agricultural policy, and that both the budget cuts and the shift towards national management threaten EU food security and territorial cohesion.
The European Parliament and the Council will now begin a negotiation process expected to last until 2027. If approved, the new CAP would enter into force in January 2028.
July 17, 2025/ 333 Staff.
