Highlights 2019-24

During the 2019-24 mandate, the common agricultural policy (CAP) celebrated its 60^th anniversary (PDF). The EU’s longest standing common policy has been constantly evolving to adapt to new farming realities and needs, to promote the sustainable development of the sector, and to increase its support to rural areas, improving their well-being.

The current CAP started on 1 January 2023. For the 2023-27 period, the CAP is supported by €269.5 billion. Implemented via 28 CAP Strategic Plans designed by EU countries and coordinated by the Commission, it is the most ambitious CAP there has ever been from an environmental and climate perspective. Overall, 47% of the CAP budget is climate relevant. The CAP strongly supports the general commitment to dedicate 10% of the EU budget to biodiversity objectives by the end of the EU's long-term budget.

Over the past years, the agricultural sector has been under pressure due to the coronavirus pandemic and the surge in energy prices and inputs following the Russian aggression on Ukraine. In addition, extreme climate events are becoming more and more frequent.

Throughout the entire mandate, the Commission has responded swiftly to these challenges, presenting a range of short-term and medium-term actions to safeguard global food security and support farmers. In total, around €1.5 billion of additional EU funds have been distributed to farmers to help them face exceptional climate events, higher costs, and market disturbances.

Thanks to EU support, the European agricultural sector has continued to increase its agricultural productivity in a sustainable way in the past years. It has provided healthy, nutritious, and high-quality products to the EU’s 445 million consumers, even during times of great challenges and disruptions.

This webpage presents highlights from this work.

A greener and fairer CAP

On 2 December 2021, the revised CAP was formally adopted and this fairer, greener, and more performance-based policy entered into force on 1 January 2023.

The Commission works closely with EU countries that implement the policy through their CAP Strategic Plans, ensuring that they strike a balance between EU-wide objectives and national priorities.

The CAP Strategic Plans play an important role in maintaining farmers' income and food security, while supporting EU agriculture's transition to a sustainable farming model. 

In total, EU countries have planned 2500 interventions in their CAP Strategic Plans, resulting in:  

• 90% of the EU’s agricultural area is subject to sustainable farming practices;  

• €4 billion every year to the redistributive payment which targets the small and medium-sized farms; 

• 760 000 farms to participate in short supply chain circuits, producer organisations, and quality schemes;  

• 47% of EU’s farmland benefitting from actions to improve soil quality;  

• 400 000 farms to benefit from investments to modernise their infrastructure and practices;  

• more than €6 billion dedicated to improving animal welfare. 

The Commission supports EU countries in preparing their CAP Strategic Plans, approves them, and monitors their performance. The Commission will continue to work with EU countries to guarantee a smooth implementation of their CAP Strategic Plans, maintain their overall ambition, and find appropriate solutions to allow progress towards the objectives.  

Simplifying the policy

Farmers remain at the core of the EU's agricultural policy. Based on experiences with the first year of the current CAP's implementation, EU farmers expressed difficulties with some legal obligations, notably the standards for good agricultural and environmental conditions. The Commission reacted swiftly, presenting a targeted review and exemptions from certain legislative provisions. The European Parliament and the Council adopted the Commission’s proposals. These limited changes resulted in more flexibility for farmers and national administrations and requirements more compatible with farming realities but kept the current CAP firmly on the path to supporting the sustainability transition of the agricultural sector. The Commission also took several other measures to reduce the administrative burden in close coordination with EU countries. 

EU CAP Network

In 2022, the Commission launched the EU CAP Network as a platform for sharing knowledge and connecting stakeholders.

Responding to new challenges

Between 2019 and 2024, EU farmers have faced a series of unprecedented crises. The Commission has always stood by farmers and provided various types of support to increase their resilience, ensuring the supply of safe and healthy food to EU citizens.

At the time of the coronavirus pandemic which heavily disrupted supply chains, the Commission took several measures, like opening up green lanes for agricultural commodities, facilitating the movement of agricultural workers, and increasing the ceiling for state aid dedicated to the agriculture sector.

The resilience of the EU agri-food supply chain was tested again as of 2021 with the surge in energy and input costs, which culminated in February 2022 with Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

In March 2022, the Commission presented a Communication to safeguard global food security and support EU farmers. This included a support package of €500 million for EU farmers. In November 2023, another package of measures was presented to ensure the availability and affordability of fertilisers.

In addition, following the adoption by the Commission of a contingency plan for ensuring food supply and food security in times of crisis in 2021, a European Food Security Crisis preparedness and response Mechanism (EFSCM) was created. Since its creation, the EFSCM published two reports on the state of food security in the EU, carried out a study on risks and vulnerabilities in the EU food supply chain, and published three sets of recommendations on ways to reinforce the diversity of sources of supply, on crisis communication and on the mitigation of risks and vulnerabilities putting at risk food supply chains.

Farmers are increasingly impacted by extreme weather, affecting their livelihoods. In response, the Commission provided significant financial support in 2023 and additional aid in 2024 to assist affected sectors.

In April 2024, the EU agri-food chain Observatory was set up to bring increased transparency on prices, structure of costs and distribution of margins, and added value in the supply chain, while respecting confidentiality and competition rules.

The enforcement of the Directive on unfair trading practices (UTP) in the food supply chain is gaining traction and will contribute to an ever-growing degree of protection for farmers and weaker suppliers.

In the latest Eurobarometer on the CAP and agriculture, 76% of respondents said that the CAP benefits all European citizens and not only farmers. A study indeed demonstrated that large shares of areas with natural constraints – such as mountains, or land in dry and cold territories - would be at risk of abandonment without CAP support.

Close to €25 billion, corresponding to 8% of the total CAP allocations from 2023 to 2027 contribute directly to the development of rural areas and communities. EU countries use CAP support for social services, infrastructure, natural parks, renewable energy production, rural mobility systems, or business creation in other sectors than farming. By 2027, the CAP will also support 377 000 young farmers to set up agricultural activities, thus boosting generational renewal.

In 2021, the Commission presented its long-term vision for the EU's rural areas to work towards more connected, resilient, and prosperous rural areas and communities. Several actions have already been completed during this mandate, including the launch of the Rural Toolkit to ease access to EU funding and the start of 60 projects funded by €253 million under Horizon Europe. The EU CAP Network, launched in 2022, facilitates exchanges on the implementation of the rural development segment of the CAP.

In January 2024, President Ursula von der Leyen launched the Strategic Dialogue on the future of EU agriculture. The final report was presented on 4 September 2024, adopted unanimously by its participants, assessing the challenges and opportunities, followed by a set of recommendations on agri-food issues.

Thanks to EU farmers and food producers, consumers enjoy high-quality, sustainable, and safe products. During the 2019-24 mandate, the Commission took several initiatives to increase organic farming, safeguard product quality and promote EU products, and better inform consumers.

Organic farming 

As of 2021, the Commission is implementing a comprehensive organic action plan for the EU. It aims to drive investment and innovation in organic farming and boost demand for organic food. By 2027, an estimated 10% of the EU's farmland should receive CAP support for organic production, up from 5.6% in 2020.

The Commission, together with the European Parliament and the Council, launched the ‘EU organic day’ in 2021 to further raise awareness about organic production.

Since 2022, EU Organic Awards also highlighted every year the work of organic farmers, and cities, restaurants, SMEs, regions, and retailers in promoting and supporting organic production.

Geographical indications

In the 2019-24 mandate, the milestone of 3 500 registered geographical indications (GIs) was reached. During this period, more than 400 GIs were registered from 39 different countries.

In October 2023, a strengthened system for GIs for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products was adopted. The new framework is expected to increase the uptake of GIs across the EU and provide a higher level of protection, especially online. This will help to further develop the EU's high food quality and standards, and ensure that our cultural, gastronomic and local heritage is preserved and certified as authentic within the EU and across the world.

Clearer labelling of products

Revised rules on the composition, sales names, labelling, and presentation of honey, fruit juices, jams, and milk were adopted in 2024. These strengthened marketing standards will facilitate the free movement of these products within the internal market and help consumers make informed choices.

Promoting high-quality EU products at home and abroad

Between 2019 and 2024, more than €830 million were dedicated to opening up new market opportunities for EU farmers and the wider EU food industry, as well as to help them secure their existing business. Awareness and promotion campaigns feature several products issued from sustainable farming practices and geographical indications. The promotion of consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables in the context of balanced diets also remains a cornerstone of the EU's promotion policy.

Thanks to EU school schemes, millions of schoolchildren from nursery to secondary, across the EU have received milk and fresh fruit and vegetables. Pupils also learn about healthy eating habits and learn how food is produced.
 

Research and innovation in agriculture, forestry and rural areas is supported from Horizon Europe providing a substantial financial backing for technological advancements.

Mission Soil, launched in 2021, aims to set up 100 living labs (places for on-the-ground experiments) and lighthouses (sites for showcasing good practices) by 2030 to promote sustainable land and soil management in urban and rural areas. Around €300 million have already been dedicated to this ambitious research and innovation programme.

The Commission provided additional data to monitor the implementation of the CAP and the current state of EU agriculture:

• The new Farm Sustainability Data Network, which replaced the Farm Accountancy Data Network in 2023, offers more variables on environmental and social factors. This allows for a more comprehensive assessment of farm conditions and performance.
• The Agri Sustainability Compass is an interactive tool offering clear and comprehensible information on sustainability in agriculture. A large overview of information on the current CAP is available in the Agri-food data portal, including the CAP catalogue of interventions and result indicators.

The Commission also stepped up its monitoring of agricultural markets and the food supply chain:

• A specific dashboard on food supply and security was also created to provide statistics on the economic consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine for farmers and food consumers, both in the EU and around the world.
• Two new market observatories were launched: the Fertilisers market Observatory and the EU agri-food chain Observatory. The rural Observatory, set up in 2023, provides information on all EU rural areas.

The Commission continued to provide valuable impact assessments and analyses on EU agriculture, covering agricultural policy, income, markets, trade, social issues, environment, and climate change. This ranged from economic reports to short-term market outlooks, and the EU’s annual baseline outlook for EU agricultural markets, income and the environment.