CAP reform Archives

As the European Commission prepares to put forward an updated multi-annual financial framework proposal (MFF) next week (29 April), the agri-food sector has unanimously called for keeping post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) spending at least at its current level in value and avoiding further cuts.

In a joint statement agreed last Friday (17 April), all EU-27 farm ministers called for activating the private storage aid (PSA) to support those agri-food sectors where significant market disturbances and price impacts have been assessed due to the COVID-19 crisis.

The European Parliament's Agriculture Committee wrote a letter to the Commission on Friday (17 April), calling on the EU executive to intervene on the market so that farmers avoid further losses as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. However, as money is scarce, the Commission is hesitating. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Agriculture sherpas rubber-stamped a partial negotiating mandate to discuss with MEPs the transition period that will allow EU farming subsidies to flow even without an agreement on post-2020 reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

Farmers association COPA-COGECA has backed the further postponement and debut of the Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy, due to mounting pressures faced by farmers over the COVID-19 outbreak, but this stance has been heavily criticised.

Environmental NGOs have accused the European Commission of "greenwashing" and cherry-picking positive messages from an EU-funded independent evaluation study about the impact of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on habitats, landscapes and biodiversity.

In this special edition of the agrifood podcast, EURACTIV's agrifood team explores the impact of the recent coronavirus outbreak on EU agriculture and the bloc's main farming subsidies programme, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

The coordinators of political groups on the European Parliament’s agriculture committee agreed on Monday (30 March) to hold a plenary vote on the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)  “after the summer break”, according to a document seen by EURACTIV.

The Green Deal remains a flagship policy of von der Leyen Commission and the EU should aim for a post-COVID-19 recovery that is green and sustainable, Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski told EURACTIV.com in an exclusive interview.

Welcome to EURACTIV's AgriFood Brief, your weekly update on all things Agriculture & Food in the EU. You can subscribe here if you haven't done so yet. EU agriculture ministers have called for further specific and targeted measures to address …

A new report from farmers’ association COPA-COGECA outlines the multi-faceted ways in which COVID-19 is leaving its mark on the agricultural sector, from flower growers to meat producers.

EU agriculture ministers have called for further specific and targeted measures to address the difficulties faced by the agri-food sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic such as restrictions in the movement of foodstuff, changes in the operation of production systems and insufficient workforce.

The French government has called on the technically unemployed French to make themselves available to help farmers with seasonal harvests. But such 'agricultural patriotism' does not bode well with the tightening of containment. EURACTIV France reports.

Lawmakers in the European Parliament have called on the European Commission to prepare a strategy anticipating the difficulties that might arise in implementing the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Europe’s farming sector could face a dramatic shortfall in workers as a consequence of the border restrictions put in place to stem the spread of novel coronavirus, which could lead to “devastating” impacts, according to Pekka Pesonen, secretary-general or farmers association COPA-COGECA. 

In France, the coronavirus crisis has put the agricultural sector back in the spotlight as concerns persist about the transport of food and seasonal shortages of farm labourers. EURACTIV France reports.

Bridging measures are necessary to prevent farmers from being financially exposed until the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is agreed, but they may hold up the Commission’s ambition to make the farming sector more environmentally sustainable, the EU auditors warned in their latest opinion.

All EU countries have now been offered the option to extend by one month the deadline by which farmers must submit their applications for Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments, the European Commission announced on Tuesday (17 March).

Three burgers a week: that's the maximum amount of meat Europeans should get used to eating, according to NGO Greenpeace, which has been looking at Europe's eating habits. EURACTIV France reports.

Europe's agricultural sector has barely managed to reduce its emissions since 2018, according to a report by the European Environment Agency published on Tuesday (10 March). EURACTIV France reports.

The latest draft of the Farm to Fork strategy (F2F), obtained by EURACTIV, features a few notable changes from the previous version, including an emphasis on the possible role of animal farming in the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and on options for animal welfare labelling.

Italy's agriculture minister Teresa Bellanova has asked the European Commission for a postponement of some of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)'s administrative procedures to relieve Italian farmers stricken by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency.

Europe's largest urban farm, located on the rooftops of the EU capital, raises fish and grows vegetables while meeting strict circular economy criteria. The founder of BIGH (Building Integrated Greenhouses), Steven Beckers, says his urban farm plans to emulate his successful practice across the border. EURACTIV France reports.

France is experimenting with drones as a means of spraying pesticides so that by 2021 it may launch the practice as it could lead to more precise treatments, as well as a reduction in the use of phytosanitary products. EURACTIV France reports.