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The European Parliament has adopted a report calling for a more autonomous Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) with a bigger budget after 2027, aimed at strengthening direct payments to farmers, reducing administrative burdens and encouraging generational renewal in agriculture.
MEPs stressed that the CAP should not be merged with other funding streams or integrated into broader financial envelopes managed by Member States for purposes other than farming. According to the resolution, income support should be paid to all professional active farmers under an area-based model, while rural development should be supported independently of cohesion policies.
Simplification is one of the key priorities: MEPs propose an incentive-based system encouraging farmers to reach environmental and social goals, keeping eco-schemes voluntary and properly remunerated. To reduce the stress caused by inspections, Parliament supports monitoring through satellite imagery and a centralised electronic self-certification system.
On digitalisation, MEPs want all farmers to have access to innovative and digital tools that promote sustainability, boost income and cut red tape. The report also underlines the need to invest in water management and circular economy, with infrastructure for storage, distribution and wastewater treatment, as well as incentives for recovering biomass, agricultural residues and by-products.
Generational renewal is considered essential for the future of EU agriculture: nearly 58% of farmers are over 55, while only 6% are under 35. MEPs call for increased CAP funding, more fiscal incentives and better access to loans in order to remove barriers for young people entering farming.
The report was adopted with 393 votes in favour, 145 against and 123 abstentions.
September 11, 2025 / European Parliament / European Union. https://www.europarl.europa.eu
