What changed between the plenary report and the adopted text

N. whereas according to Eurostat, 93 % of farms in the EU are family-run; whereas this unique European model needs to be preserved as it plays a crucial role in the vitality and economic viability of rural areas;

O. whereas farming is not just a job, but a way of life rooted in nature, historical, cultural and traditional heritage and the rural community that has a positive impact on society and deserves better recognition; whereas the multifunctionality of agriculture in the EU offers a wide range of opportunities for employment and business diversification in rural areas, for example through agri-tourism services, the agri-food and bioeconomy industries, renewable energy production, sustainable tourism, school visits and direct sales; whereas this multifunctionality contributes to inclusive growth, community welfare and the provision of social, educational and health-related services in rural areas;

P. whereas food inflation in the EU reached almost 25 % in 2022 and 2023, soaring to 50 % in some countries, which had major economic and social repercussions and highlighted the fundamental need to stabilise agricultural prices to ensure macroeconomic stability and economic security;

Q. whereas direct area payments are essential for the economic sustainability of European agriculture, playing a crucial role in maintaining sustainable production and ensuring that farmers receive a fair and adequate income, thereby enhancing profitability, providing stability and guaranteeing a minimum level of security; whereas increased support should be ensured for women, new, young and family farmers, small and medium-sized enterprises – particularly those operating in disadvantaged areas – as well as for sectors supported on socio-economic or environmental grounds;

R. whereas it is important to ensure that CAP Pillar I aid payments are directed towards all active, professional farmers who derive their income either partially or entirely from agricultural production, whether on a full or part-time basis;

S. whereas these direct payments should contribute to enhancing competitiveness and improving the sustainability and resilience of the EU agricultural sector, while reflecting specific needs and regional diversity; whereas the core driver of farmers’ profitability must continue to be the production of healthy food, with the possibility of complementing income through activities such as energy generation, carbon capture, or sustainable tourism;

U. whereas farmers are facing rising price volatility due to fluctuations in global markets and in European production, owing to the globalised nature of the food supply chain, as evidenced by the recent influx of grain from non-EU countries and the increase in fertiliser prices; whereas they also encounter macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty, health crises, animal disease outbreaks, market concentration trends, surpluses in certain European sectors and the unpredictability of yields as a result of more frequent climate-related extreme weather events and natural disasters;

V. whereas European agriculture must address new and increasing challenges and deliver on EU priorities such as food security and climate resilience; whereas this necessitates an increased budget for the CAP in the next MFF in constant prices, as one of the EU’s policy priorities in order to prevent a loss in the real-term value of payments and meet both current and future challenges in the EU;

W. whereas failure to adjust the MFF for inflation could result in a loss of up to 54 % of the CAP – equivalent to EUR 250 billion by 2034 – severely undermining the EU’s capacity to maintain food self-sufficiency and respond effectively to internal and global demands;

X. whereas agricultural income remains below the average for the rest of the economy in almost all Member States, standing at 47 % of average gross wages and salaries in the EU economy and whereas people living in urban areas generally have a higher level of income than those living in rural areas, which leads to inequalities and exclusion; whereas farmers aged 40 and under have the lowest incomes on average within the EU; whereas the future CAP must ensure a fair remuneration and protection for farmers and farm workers, enabling them to sustain production activities throughout the Union, including in areas facing natural constraints, and meeting quality standards and food safety requirements for the benefit of citizens;

Y. whereas farmers are facing high levels of work-related stress caused by long working hours, social isolation, financial uncertainty, administrative and regulatory demands, climate-related weather events or emerging plant and animal diseases; whereas access to mental health services for farmers remains limited;

Z. whereas it is essential to strengthen the position of farmers in the agri-food supply chain, duly recognising their role, and to ensure conditions of fair competition, productivity, resilience and efficiency in the single market; whereas it is important to guarantee full compliance with the legislation on unfair trading practices, ensuring fair payment for agricultural products, together with greater transparency in price formation and promoting better tools for managing the impacts of risks and crises; whereas external shocks and factors outside farmers’ control, such as market crises or natural disasters, affecting the competitiveness and sustainability of farmers along the value chain, must also be properly considered and monitored;

AA. whereas agricultural cooperatives, created and managed by the farmers themselves, as well as producer organisations (POs), associations of producer organisations (APOs), and local action groups strengthen the position of primary producers in the production chain by combining efforts, coordinating investments and mitigating the fragmentation of the sector; whereas the Vision for Agriculture and Food recognises that stronger collective bargaining in agriculture is crucial in making the sector more attractive;

AC. whereas generational renewal is essential for the future of European agriculture, food security, the prosperity of rural areas and the preservation of the rural way of life; whereas the price and limited availability of land, the generally low profitability of agricultural activity, the structural challenges facing rural areas in relation to the investments and risks involved, the administrative requirements and the sector’s perceived image are among the main barriers to becoming a farmer; whereas attention should also be drawn to other factors, such as the lack of own capital, difficult access to credit, especially for women and young farmers, the need for technical and accompanying services and support measures, the effects of climate change, high input and other production costs, and the multiplication of vector-borne diseases, all of which can constitute important barriers to the involvement of young people, women and new farmers in the agricultural sector;

AD. whereas young people, women and new farmers have the potential to introduce new business ideas, adopt new technologies and implement sustainable farming methods; whereas schemes that combine sustainability, technological uptake and intergenerational partnerships should be promoted to facilitate farm succession; whereas stronger synergies between youth employment initiatives, the CAP and rural development policies are essential to support generational renewal and ensure young people remain in rural areas;

AE. whereas women continue to face greater challenges in entering the farming sector and whereas female employment rates in rural areas are consistently lower than those of men; whereas the number of farms managed by women varies significantly across Member States; whereas gender equality is a fundamental principle of the EU and curbing rural depopulation largely depends on ensuring equal opportunities for women and young people; whereas, in order to address the specific challenges faced by women in agriculture, the Commission and the Member States should ensure that their particular needs are reflected within the CAP national strategic plans through targeted interventions;

AF. whereas new rural value chains in the bioeconomy offer new business opportunities to diversify income sources for the agricultural sector, fostering job creation and rural entrepreneurship, while promoting better use of agricultural by-products; whereas examples of the latter include energy production through on-farm biogas production or the production and processing of wool and other natural fibres; whereas, in this context, it is also important to highlight the additional income opportunities available to farmers through renewable energy production from sources compliant with the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), such as biofuels, which also contribute to strengthening the EU’s energy self-sufficiency; whereas carbon farming has the potential to support the EU’s climate objectives by promoting carbon sequestration in soils and biomass; whereas food and feed should, however, be prioritised over the other uses of agricultural products and land;

AG. whereas short production chains – with production, processing and packaging being carried out in the same region – help retain added value locally and thus secure more jobs in the area; whereas such place-based, territorially embedded, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems reduce reliance on external inputs, reinforce EU food security and contribute to the revitalisation of rural areas;

AH. whereas it is essential to avoid negative impacts on EU agricultural production by promoting flexible and effective tools to support the most vulnerable and strategic sectors when faced with challenges arising from structural changes, natural and meteorological disasters, especially in the context of climate change, market imbalances, the adoption of trade agreements, as well as the potential consequences for the EU agricultural sector associated with the implementation of new EU policies;

AI. whereas these challenges may have direct consequences for food security and rural economies and communities, and therefore it is vital to improve risk prevention, management and adaptation, including through enhanced and adapted mechanisms and infrastructure supported by financial resources outside the CAP;

AJ. whereas the CAP should recognise the significant environmental benefits provided by sustainable agriculture and livestock farming, to which practices and crops such as forestry, agroforestry, beekeeping, protein and woody crops, organic farming, textile fibres and emerging sectors such as the bioeconomy also contribute; whereas sectoral strategies for fruit and vegetables, wine, olive oil, table olives, potatoes, sugar beet and beekeeping should be maintained and protected;

AL. whereas agriculture, water and soil are intrinsically linked; whereas the availability and sustainable management of these natural resources is vital to ensure sufficient and good-quality food production;

AM. whereas efficient nutrient use is essential in reducing the EU’s dependency on chemical fertilisers, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and improving soil health; whereas the Nitrates Directive, in its current form, restricts the use of processed animal manure, including RENURE products, despite scientific evidence supporting their safe application; whereas the Joint Research Centre has concluded that replacing synthetic mineral fertilisers with RENURE does not lead to increased nitrate losses to water; whereas this creates unnecessary regulatory barriers for farmers aiming to close nutrient cycles and reduce environmental impacts;

AN. whereas the growing instability in world trade makes it necessary to adapt the EU’s trade policy and international trade rules, in particular under the World Trade Organization framework, to safeguard the Union’s agri-food systems by ensuring fair and sustainable conditions of competition, based on reciprocity and effective trade defence;

AO. whereas the importing into the EU of agricultural products that are produced to lower standards and with lower production costs than those produced in the EU – characterised by the highest of standards – is an obstacle to our producers’ ability to obtain fair prices and profitability on the market; whereas this poses potential risks to public, plant and animal health, including from the spread of pests and diseases; whereas there is a need to ensure reciprocity in international trade agreements;

AP. whereas it is necessary to modernise the physical and digital infrastructure underpinning the efficient export of EU agri-food products to strengthen the resilience of EU agriculture by creating diversified export markets;

AQ. whereas the World Health Organization recommends including legumes, fruit and vegetables, as well as a moderate consumption of protein, including of animal origin, as part of a varied and balanced diet; whereas meat and other animal products are a valuable source of high biological value protein and essential micronutrients; whereas sustainable livestock farming makes important contributions to biodiversity protection, forest fire prevention, landscape maintenance, soil nutrient provision and food security, as well as to national cultures and heritage; whereas the Commission, in its communication on the long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas, acknowledged the importance of developing a long-term strategy for the livestock sector and announced the launch of a dedicated workstream on this issue; whereas targeted investments in breeding techniques and other innovative solutions can reduce emissions from livestock while safeguarding productivity and animal welfare;

AR. whereas approximately 70 % of the raw materials required for the manufacturing of the protein-rich feed needed in the EU has to be imported from non-EU countries because the EU has a significant deficit in plant protein production; whereas Parliament and the Member States have repeatedly called for a meaningful EU protein strategy to increase the production of protein crops in the EU in order to reduce this high degree of dependence;

AS. whereas reinforced synergies are needed with other EU instruments, such as Horizon Europe and cohesion policy, to facilitate the integration of research outputs into practical, locally tailored agricultural solutions, to promote innovation and to foster economic development; whereas enhanced connectivity, improved digital skills and the deployment of autonomous technologies in rural areas are essential to enhance the sector’s competitiveness and climate resilience and to make rural areas more appealing to younger generations and qualified professionals;

AT. whereas most biotechnology research is currently conducted outside the EU; whereas such research often focuses on agroeconomic issues that are only partially relevant to the EU context, resulting in potential losses in both investment and opportunities for EU farmers; whereas the EU should therefore invest in developing biotechnology adapted to its own agricultural needs; whereas the withdrawal of marketing authorisations for plant protection products, without effective alternatives available, exposes farmers to pests and diseases, reduces their profitability and competitiveness, increases food waste and poses a threat to food security;

AU. whereas the EU has developed a series of space programmes (EGNOS and Galileo) and earth observation programmes (Copernicus), which have significant potential to support the monitoring of CAP implementation in order to empower farmers and foresters with accurate data on the land they manage and, where appropriate, to simplify and reduce administrative burdens;

AW. whereas the CAP should play a role in the harmonious development of the EU by bolstering economic, social and territorial cohesion, and must therefore continue to compensate areas with natural constraints, such as mountainous, arid, island, border, outermost and disadvantaged regions, for the extra costs associated with their geographical or demographic constraints, in order to avoid the abandonment of agricultural activity and consequent depopulation in such areas; whereas it is vital to acknowledge the important role that farmers play in these territories, ensuring environmental, economic and social services;

AX. whereas outermost regions face specific challenges due to their geographical situation; whereas the POSEI programme applies CAP Pillar I interventions, adapted to the specificities of the outermost regions; whereas POSEI is of vital importance for maintaining agricultural activity and ensuring the supply of food and agricultural products in these regions; whereas POSEI’s implementation is important and has been a success, notably in terms of increasing production intended for local consumption, as demonstrated by the Commission’s implementation reports between 2006 and 2014 and between 2015 and 2019; whereas, however, POSEI budget allocations have not been revised since 2007, which has resulted in a cumulative depreciation of at least 36 % due to inflation; whereas this has significantly limited the level of EU support available to farmers in the outermost regions and whereas there is a clear need to recalibrate the POSEI financial allocations to compensate for this depreciation;

AY. whereas competitive agriculture, food and forestry sectors can continue to play strong roles in achieving objectives for security of food supply, public health and environmental protection consistent with the policies of the Union, with farmers being incentivised and remunerated for their contribution and assisted by a reduction in unnecessary regulatory and administrative burdens in the measures they undertake;

AZ. whereas, through the CAP, European farmers have made significant efforts to integrate environmental and climate objectives compatible with the requirements laid down in EU legislation to adapt the agricultural sector to the increasing challenges and crises caused by climate change; whereas farmers are already on the front line and are playing a key role in safeguarding the environment and soil in the face of climate change and, according to estimates, between 2005 and 2023, agricultural greenhouse gas emissions in the EU followed an overall downward trend of 7 %;

BA. whereas it is essential to ensure that CAP conditionality requirements and environmental commitments take into account the diversity of agriculture in the EU and do not impose disproportionate administrative burdens on farmers, especially the most vulnerable ones; whereas a better balance needs to be struck between the obligatory nature of certain measures and an incentive-based system that enables farmers to voluntarily adopt more sustainable farming practices, without leading to a reduction in food production, thus ensuring their competitiveness and profitability and granting enough flexibility to allow for locally appropriate solutions;

BB. whereas it is necessary to carry out a cumulative evaluation of Green Deal-related legislation to assess its overall impact on the agri-food sector, including regulatory coherence, administrative burden, competitiveness and the sector’s capacity to ensure food security and strategic resilience;

BC. whereas the CAP must take into account regions where there is strong competition between urban development and agriculture when imposing additional restrictions on access to land, in order to maintain agriculture in these areas;

BD. whereas the success of innovation in agriculture depends not only on technological advancements, but also on effective knowledge exchange and the active involvement of farmers in research and innovation processes; whereas tools such as the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS), Operational Groups under EIP-AGRI, and multi-actor projects supported by Horizon Europe have shown the value of co-creation, local adaptation and stronger links between farmers, researchers and advisors;

The path to competitive and sustainable agriculture

2. Takes note of the Commission report entitled ‘A Vision for Agriculture and Food’ as a promising roadmap for the post-2027 CAP, with important contributions based on generational renewal, competitiveness, sustainability, resilience, simplification and greater reciprocity of standards in trade, and with the emphasis on innovation to achieve economic, social and environmental sustainability, on prioritising incentives over restrictions and on a fairer targeting of CAP support; recognises, within this approach, a renewed emphasis on the CAP’s traditional core aims as enshrined in Article 39 TFEU; emphasises the importance of ensuring a stand-alone CAP budget in order to achieve these aims;

3. Underlines that agriculture plays a fundamental role in ensuring food security for the EU and beyond, safeguarding human health, maintaining biodiversity and healthy soil and water, and social cohesion; underlines that the future CAP should simplify access to climate adaptation and mitigation measures and that farmers should be rewarded for their efforts in this respect; stresses that farmers play a critical role in ensuring the sustainability of European agricultural production across its environmental, social and economic dimensions, while also contributing to food security and strategic autonomy and should therefore be supported; calls for impact assessments that take into account farm-level implications to be carried out before any new regulations are proposed that entail new requirements and bureaucratic burdens on farmers, and calls for a review of all existing obligations; insists that agriculture remain an EU policy and not be included in a single fund, in order to ensure uniform conditions among Member States;

4. Calls for an increased and dedicated budget for the CAP, which is indexed for inflation through annual re-evaluations, in the next MFF in order to ensure security of food supply regardless of the commercial instabilities arising from the volatility of the geopolitical environment; stresses that without adequate resources, the CAP will no longer be able to be a key driver for ensuring the sustainability of European agriculture economically, environmentally and socially, while guaranteeing a fair income and fair conditions for those involved in the farming sector and a fully functioning single market; calls for the financial resources allocated to the CAP to remain earmarked in the budget for that purpose, in particular direct payments; strongly opposes the idea that Member States should be allowed to use the CAP budget as part of a total envelope for purposes other than agriculture; stresses that an adequate budget will help ensure the continuation of a common policy;

5. Calls on the Commission and the co-legislators to maintain fixed and ring-fenced income support as a core component of the post-2027 CAP, recognising its vital role in ensuring food production, with high quality and health standards for EU consumers, providing farmers with stability in the face of market volatility and extreme weather events, ensuring a fair standard of living for farmers, guaranteeing security of supply and building food and feed autonomy; considers that the current situation of the regions located at the EU’s external borders must also be taken into account;

6. Expresses its concerns over potential budgetary overhauls in the post-2027 EU budget, including the possible centralisation of funding streams; warns that integrating the CAP with other funding areas such as cohesion, regional development and fisheries could undermine the distinct role of agricultural policy;

7. Emphasises the need for the CAP to maintain its own legal and institutional standing in the post-2027 period; stresses the importance of maintaining the CAP budget as a stand-alone, distinct and dedicated budget, tailored to the specific needs of the European agricultural sector; calls on the Commission to reduce administrative burdens to ensure that farmers can directly access support without excessive reliance on external consultants;

8. Reaffirms the importance of maintaining the CAP as a separate, distinct policy, serving as a partnership between agriculture and society, and between Europe and its farmers, providing reliable support to them with a view to enhancing food security; firmly rejects any proposal to include the CAP budget in a single fund with other policies or funds, as such an approach would reduce the effectiveness of interventions and compromise the Union’s strategic objectives in terms of food security and rural development;

9. Points out that, in the current geopolitical context, secure and constant access to food has become a matter of strategic security, and that dependence on imports can be exploited as a means to exert pressure; underlines that, in this context, more emphasis should be placed on the CAP’s traditional core aims – supporting food security and resilience, ensuring a fair income for farmers, and improving market stability and competitiveness;

10. Stresses that sustainable food and agricultural production plays a heightened strategic role, accentuated by the new geopolitical context, as an essential part of European security, stability and sovereignty as well as strategic autonomy, and that the CAP budget amount and framework must reflect that; maintains that EU farming should be recognised not only as an economic sector, but also as a geopolitical cornerstone, a tool for social and territorial stability, and a critical component of the EU’s security and defence policies; notes that, at global level, with the exception of the EU, countries playing a key role in the agricultural sector have stepped up their spending and protection measures for the sector since the 2007-2008 food price crisis; recalls that agricultural productivity and resilience are dependent on the sustainable management of natural resources to guarantee the long-term sustainability of our food systems; highlights the need for the post-2027 CAP to contribute to strengthening the Union’s overall preparedness and resilience; emphasises that the Commission and the Member States should include food in their security and competitiveness plans; calls on the Commission and the Member States to consider establishing strategic storage facilities at European and national level with a view to safeguarding food security;

11. Points out that efficient agricultural production makes an important contribution to the sustainability of the sector, by optimising yields with the fewest possible inputs; emphasises that the CAP must include instruments and investments that enhance the capacity of farms and rural areas to be prepared for, absorb and recover from shocks; insists that the CAP’s primary objective should be to meet the European population’s food needs and that this means supporting farmers more effectively so as to boost EU food security and strategic autonomy;