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This fact sheet explains how, under the common agricultural policy (CAP), each EU Member State is required to draw up a CAP strategic plan (CSP) setting out how the CAP’s funding instruments will be directed (i.e. farmer income support and market and rural development measures) to address local needs and achieve tangible results on EU-level objectives. This delivery model was established in 2021 and it provides for greater flexibility and subsidiarity in assigning responsibilities to the Member States ...

In the EU, 20 % of farms get 80 % of hectare-based direct payments under the common agricultural policy (CAP). This has been an issue since the introduction of these payments, and successive European Commissions have tried to solve it by capping these payments, but this measure has so far been optional for Member States. As part of the ongoing CAP reform, the European Commission has proposed a mandatory annual cap of €100 000 per farm, with a progressive reduction of the hectare-based payments starting ...

This fact sheet explains the European Union’s Farm to Fork Strategy, a key component of the European Green Deal, which aims at building sustainable EU agri-food systems by making agri-food systems fairer, healthier and more environmentally sustainable. It outlines the strategy’s objectives and main policy actions, including measures relating to agriculture, food processing and distribution, food consumption and prevention of food loss and food waste.

This fact sheets explains that the common agricultural policy (CAP) (3.2.1) has undergone six major reforms, the most recent of which were in 2013 (for the 2014-2020 financial period) and 2021 (for the 2023-2027 financial period). The latest reform and new legislation came into force in January 2023.

This fact sheet explains the key aspects of EU forests and forestry policy. It also outlines the EU forest strategy and the other support initiatives that have a significant impact on forests in the EU and in non-EU countries.

This fact sheet explains the role of rural development policy as the second pillar of the European Union’s common agricultural policy (CAP). It outlines the legal and financial framework governing rural development support, including the role of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the CAP Strategic Plans. The fact sheet also explains the objectives and main types of rural development interventions, how they are implemented through national strategic plans, and the key rules on ...

New and emerging plant pests can undermine EU food security and farm/forestry incomes through yield losses, trade disruption and costly control measures, while also causing major environmental impacts through biodiversity loss, landscape change and increased pressure to use pesticides. Using a comprehensive foresight methodology, this study examines how global trade and tourism, climate change and agricultural systems contribute to the introduction and spread of new and emerging plant pests, assesses ...

This fact sheet explains how the EU organises and supports its agricultural markets. It mainly focuses on the rules of the common market organisation (CMO) for different types of farm products, including quality labels such as geographical indications, support for farmers in remote regions, the EU school scheme and measures to prevent unfair trading practices. It explains how these measures help strengthen agricultural markets and ensure they can respond to new challenges, in line with the EU’s common ...

This fact sheet explains the European Union Solidarity Fund, the EU’s main instrument for providing financial support to Member States or accession countries in the event of a major natural disaster. It describes the fund’s objectives, budget and implementation. It concludes with an overview of the European Parliament’s role in shaping and strengthening the instrument.

This fact sheet explains how the European Union provides farmers with a form of income support, known as ‘direct payments’, to act as a safety net and enhance farm profitability. It also outlines the various payment schemes and how they work in practice, and gives a breakdown of the planned expenditure for direct payments under the common agricultural policy (CAP) strategic plans.