The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is both a historical pillar of the European Union — established in 1962 — and a model of shared governance that benefits nearly 450 million EU citizens every day. Its original goals remain just as relevant today as they were at its inception:
The CAP has evolved to address new challenges and shifting market conditions, broadening its focus to include rural development, generational renewal, environmental sustainability, climate goals, and animal welfare. The CAP is a multifaceted policy which is very difficult to sum up in just a few words given its broad scope. Here are some lesser-known facts that highlight its real importance for European farmers:
Between 2023 and 2027, the CAP is expected to support around 7 million beneficiaries across the EU.
In the past five years, direct payments have accounted for 21% of agricultural factor income on average.
40% of the CAP budget for 2023–2027 is dedicated to supporting the EU’s climate action goals.
Nearly 1.5 million farms will benefit from CAP support to manage and cover agricultural risks.
23 CAP Strategic Plans include payments for natural constraint areas during the 2023–2027 programming period.
48% of funds target environmental, climate, animal welfare measures under the 2nd Pillar.
Between 2023–2027, around 368,000 young farmers will receive support to start agricultural production.
MFF is the long-term budget plan of the EU. It sets the maximum amounts (ceilings) that the EU can spend each year in broad policy areas over a defined period — usually seven years. The MFF defines what the EU can afford and where it puts its money — whether that's climate action, defense, digital transformation, or agriculture.
The MFF is thus a high-stakes political agreement that reflects the balance of priorities among all 27 EU Member States, agreed upon based on a Commission proposal.The current MFF runs from 2021 to 2027 and in order to be ready for the MFF 2028-2034, discussions are already taking place at EU level and the Commission is set to release its proposal by July 2025.
When the CAP budget for 2021–2027 was agreed in July 2020, it was based on an expected inflation rate of 2%. However, inflation soared, peaking at over 9% in 2022. This has significantly reduced the real value of the CAP budget, severely impacting the actual support received by farmers, while costs for inputs such as energy and fertilizers have surged.
If nothing is done to account for inflation in the next budget, it is certain that the gap between the CAP budget and its real value paid out to farmers will continue to erode dramatically.
This is why COPA and COGECA are calling for an automatically inflation-adjusted CAP budget and a safeguarded funding line in the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework.
Even though no official document has yet been published, for its next budgetary framework, the European Commission is reflectiong on radical changes, notably by merging nearly 530 of its programmes into a single fund of €1.2 trillion. This would form a first pillar of the Single EU Fund, to which two additional pillars would be added: one dedicated to financing the support to Third countries, and another focused on competitiveness.
Under the first pillar, Member States would define strategic plans based on national priorities, raising concerns about the loss of specific CAP funding and its common nature.
This shift could cause some countries to place more emphasis on food security and others less, leading to uneven policy implementation across the EU and the Single Market.
While a targeted budget sounds appealing, a single fund would blur the economic, environmental and social objectives of the CAP and its two-pillar structure and weaken the common approach that ensures fair competition and a level playing field.
It could lead to delayed payments, fragmented national priorities, and reduced focus on long-term investments and rural development. Most critically, it would erode the predictability and stability that farmers and agri-cooperatives depend on—at a time when they are being asked to invest in major environmental and economic transitions.
Ultimately, whatever rhetoric the Commission may use, it barely conceals a clear intention to further reduce agricultural support — already at historic lows — despite its importance, despite the regulatory burden placed on farmers, and its strategic significance for our food security!
Copa and Cogeca are two European organisations, established respectively in 1958 and 1959, managed by a joint secretariat since 1962, representing national associations of farmers and agricultural cooperatives.
Together, we serve as the leading voice of the farming community at EU level. European agriculture, forestry, and aquaculture are remarkably diverse, forming a strategic asset capable of meeting the needs of half a billion Europeans while addressing many of the EU’s current and future challenges.
To ensure this diversity is properly represented, Copa and Cogeca advocate for all agricultural models, types of production, and farms and cooperatives of all sizes.
Our structures are grounded in democratic principles, supported by elected representatives and the work of over forty dedicated working parties.
Since the European Commission raised the idea of a Single Fund that includes the CAP, Copa and Cogeca have mobilised. This petition is part of a broader campaign and follows a first pan-European flash action organised on 21 May 2025. Until clear answers are provided, Copa and Cogeca will continue their mobilisation in various forms, as this is a foundational issue for the future of European agriculture.
