Raquel Pastor Carretero (AEIDL)
On January 1, 2026, Cyprus assumed the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Under the overarching motto of “autonomy”, the Presidency has outlined a comprehensive strategic agenda on five central pillars: security and defence, competitiveness, global engagement, social cohesion and the framing of the post – 2027 Multiannual Financial Framework.
In alignment with this strategy, the Presidency will address the agriculture and fisheries sectors, establishing the primary sector as a structural pillar of the Union’s food security architecture, economic resilience, and territorial cohesion. Within the framework of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH), the Presidency will approach on advancing policy discussions under the guiding principles of fairness, competitiveness and sustainability, in line with existing EU strategic objectives.
Shaping the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy
One of the Cypriot Presidency’s central tasks will be to setting the stage for the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) beyond 2027. Among other strategic engagements, the various Council sessions will feature high-level deliberations designed to structure the policy debate and inform the forthcoming legislative proposals. In this context, the Presidency’s efforts are key in synchronising sectoral priorities with the negotiation cycle of the next MFF.
Given the legislative architecture of the future CAP, directly linked to the global budgetary allocation of the 2028-2034 Multi Annual Financial Framework, these discussions will serve to consolidate the Council’s political orientations before the European Commission finalises the legal drafting of the texts. These deliberations will constitute a critical component in preparing for the final phase of negotiations, which is anticipated to intensify during the second half of 2026 and throughout 2027.
In addition, the Presidency will address key cross-cutting challenges affecting the agricultural sector, including climate change adaptation and mitigation, plant and animal health risks, market volatility, and the impact of geopolitical developments on agricultural inputs and trade flows. Key areas of focus include:
- Administrative simplification and implementation efficiency, with an emphasis on reducing unnecessary administrative burdens for beneficiaries, improving the proportionality of controls and strengthening the overall delivery of the CAP.
- Fairness in the value chain, including a robust assessment of how the Directive on Unfair Trading Practices is being implemented, focusing on its effectiveness in improving farmers’ remuneration and reinforcing their bargaining power within the supply chain.
- Trade and strategic autonomy, addressing the EU’s dependence on agricultural imports, the resilience of the food system and the need to protect the internal market from distortive trade practices.
Monitoring and support from TOOLS4CAP
As discussions on the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy will intensify under the Cypriot Presidency, the Horizon Europe project TOOLS4CAP will continue to play an active role in supporting evidence-based governance and policy design.
In this context, the project has released a Policy Brief, launched in December 2025, providing recommendations for policymakers and researchers to face the main challenges identified during the analysis for the future CAP. These challenges include the uncertainty and fragmentation of the budget, the complexity and disincentives in co-financing arrangements, the balance between economic, societal, and environmental objectives, or the ambiguity and inconsistency in specific terms such as “farm stewardship.”
Throughout the Cypriot semester, the TOOLS4CAP consortium will monitor policy debates and institutional developments related to the post-2027 CAP, ensuring a strategic alignment between its research activities and emerging policy priorities. merging policy priorities.