Author: Raquel Pastor (AEIDL)
On 3 June, during an ordinary meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI), the report “The future of agriculture and the post-2027 common agricultural policy AGRI/10/02332” was presented.
The debate highlighted several key points shaping the current discussions ahead of the presentation of the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and the roadmap for Europe’s vision for agriculture and food. Among the identified priorities were:
- The need for greater simplification of the CAP and the promotion of competitiveness in the sector.
- The budget structure and the specific allocation for the CAP in the future MFF.
- The prioritisation of incentives over obligations in agricultural practices.
- Essential support for small farms.
- The urgency of addressing generational renewal as a cornerstone for the future of European agriculture and food security.
- The importance of strengthening measures for risk prevention and climate change adaptation.
These priorities of work and conclusions align with the objectives of Tools4CAP. The project is currently conducting 11 case studies testing tools and methodologies specifically defined and selected for each, adapted to their realities and current context. The aim is to provide support and solid evidence to formulate robust recommendations and proposals for the design of post-2027 CAP interventions, contributing to informed and effective decision-making.
Among these, it is worth noting:
- The characterisation of farmers’ needs to help design more specific and effective support schemes. An example is the case study being developed in The Netherlands, which aims at estimating the effects of different design options and hectare payments for planned eco-schemes on expected uptake and the required budget.
- Improving the evaluation framework for direct payments. Ireland is developing a more robust system to evaluate these types of interventions through indicators, highlighting the need to strengthen farm-level data.
- Strengthening CAP governance by promoting methodological tools that foster more inclusive and transparent strategic planning, addressing the specific needs of local, regional, and national realities.
- The development of tools for the assessment, prevention, and adaptation to climate risks, as well as for evaluating the effectiveness of implemented adaptation measures. For example, in Hungary, the CAPRI model is being used to develop a toolset for assesing both the economic and ecological impacts of emission reduction scenarios, critical for evaluating the mitigation potential of the agriculture sector and supporting evidence-based policymaking.
In parallel, Tools4CAP also supports Member States and stakeholders through capacity-building activities, specifically through focus groups and the Academy, fostering inclusive discussions, gathering diverse stakeholder perspectives, and addressing end users’ needs.
Budgeting for the future: The MFF and the CAP post-2027
Interventions during the AGRI Committee meeting also stressed the importance of ensuring adequate funding within the MFF to enable agriculture to fulfil its multiple functions: productive, environmental, and social.
In this regard, Tools4CAP aims to ensure that its tools and methodologies contribute significantly to greater optimisation and efficiency in defining and designing future CAP interventions. By providing data-driven analyses of policy impacts and fund-use effectiveness, the project supports more informed and strategic decision-making. These results, insights, and lessons learned will feed into the future design of interventions at national and regional levels.