Industry Insights · 5min read

The Future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)

Take a brief look at how the European Commission (EC) has adapted the existing CAP in hopes of focusing on building an even greener future.

The CAP for sustainable agriculture encompasses policies to promote the EU’s social sustainability, environmental sustainability, and economic sustainability—all of which are interconnected to form a sustainable system of agriculture on a pan-European scale. Starting from 2021, for example, 40% of the CAP budget will be geared toward climate action in general. And moving forward, the EC is now committed to redesigning the future CAP to align with the European Green Deal. The nine objectives of the future CAP have thus been defined as follows: 

1. To ensure a fair income to farmers

2. To increase competitiveness

3. To rebalance the power in the food chain

4. Climate change action

5. Environmental care

6. To preserve landscapes and biodiversity

7. To support generational renewal

8. Vibrant rural areas

9. To protect food and health quality

The Green Deal’s targets and ambitions are set to form the core of future decision-making in all areas of the CAP, including individual member states’ CAP strategies, approval, recommendations, farming practices, programmes, income support, data collection. In upcoming months, member states will be required to design and present localised strategic plans that outline how they intend on reaching these objectives. On May 20th the EC announced that prior to the formal submission of the CAP Strategic Plans, it will first provide each member state with recommendations pertaining to the nine objectives. 

Resources & further reading

• The European Green Deal (11.12.2019)

• European Green Deal - Annex - Roadmap and Key Actions (11.12.2019)

• Sustainable Agriculture in the CAP (2018)

• Future of the common agricultural policy (2018)

• The CAPs compatibility with the Green Deal's ambition (2020)

• MFF - Proposal for Rules Establishing Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plans (27.05.2020)

• European Green Deal: the New Farm to Fork & Biodiversity Strategies (May 2020)

Imagery: (1) Elizabeth Lies via unsplash.com