Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has been urged to open a new chapter in EU food policy and overhaul the current CAP system in the process following recommendations of a reflection group.
Announced by von der Leyen in last year’s State of the Union address, the strategic dialogue for the future of EU agriculture was conceived to cope with increasing polarisation in the agriculture and food policy debate.
The group, gathering representatives from 29 farmers’ cooperatives, agribusinesses, NGOs, civil society, financial institutions, and academia, has worked for over seven months to produce a more than 100-page report crafting a vision for the future of European agri-food systems.
The final report agreed by consensus of all its members was presented to Commission chief von der Leyen today by the chairman, German Professor Peter Strohschneider.
The report underscores the urgency of reforming food systems and emphasizes the need for immediate action. It also highlights cooperation and dialogue across the food value chain as essential to reshaping the EU’s food policy.
“My team and I will, of course, study carefully the recommendations in the report, then will feed into the vision for agriculture and food,” von der Leyen told a press conference.
She has previously committed to presenting a roadmap within the first 100 days of her next mandate.
CAP reform and Just Transition Fund
The report addresses the need to reform the EU’s massive farming subsidies program, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). It suggests “moving away from current non-degressive area-based payments towards an effective income support approach, financial public support.”
The reference is to the contested direct payments to farmers per hectare which makes up roughly 75% of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and, without a capping, are alleged to allow large farms to benefit excessively from EU subsidies.
“The shared opinion of the members of the strategic dialogue is very clear: Public money is not to be spent to those who do not need it,” said Professor Peter Strohschneider, chair of the reflection group.
“The recommendation is to make the CAP fit for purpose,” he told Euronews in an interview, putting the focus on enabling lively rural areas but also rewarding sustainable agricultural practices.
One of the report’s most ambitious proposals is the creation of an Agri-food Just Transition Fund. This one-off investment support, separate from the CAP budget, would provide loans or grants to support farmers in transitioning to more sustainable practices.
The report also addressed mandatory environmental practices tied to EU subsidies, initially part of the CAP’s green architecture but recently amended after widespread farmers’ protests.
The group suggested only “offering a package of voluntary measures approved by the Commission” namely promoting environmental practices without making them mandatory.
Turning the page
The report advocated a shift in the EU’s approach to food policy. It comes at a moment of stalled implementation of the previous Farm to Fork strategy, amid growing discontent among farmers across Europe,.
“We have already started a new approach that is more trust in the farmers and less micromanagement, but better incentives,” said von der Leyen.
ADVERTISEMENTThe document also stressed the importance of reducing unnecessary bureaucracy and ensuring inclusive policy in the decision-making processes.
Among its ten guiding principles, the report recognised the strategic importance of food and agricultural production in the current geopolitical context and as a vital component of European security.
In light of this strategic relevance, it calls on the Commission to review its trade negotiation strategies and methods for impact assessment of trade deals.
New approach to sustainability
The report called for a broader approach to sustainability, encompassing not just ecological concerns but also the economic viability of farmers and their social responsibilities.
ADVERTISEMENTIt advocated for the full implementation of social conditionality within the CAP, linking EU funds to compliance with minimum labour standards.
The group also recommended developing a “new sustainability benchmarking” system to standardise the assessment of sustainable practices, addressing the current lack of a unified methodology.
Additionally, the report proposed establishing a broad stakeholder body, the European Board on Agri-Food (EBAF), to continue the work of the strategic dialogue. This body would be responsible for developing, implementing, overseeing, and refining the benchmarking framework, resolving inconsistencies, and monitoring progress.
