The future of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for 2028–2034 was the focus of a sharp, high-stakes debate in the European Parliament on Thursday. 10 July. The message from many MEPs? Don’t mess with CAP.
With a censure vote against Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hanging over proceedings, tensions seemed to run a little hotter than usual. In the run-up to the debate, concerns had been mounting among lawmakers, farmers, and agri-industry insiders over proposals to fold the CAP into a broader, single funding pot. The common policy, traditionally accounting for about a third of the EU’s budget, has long stood apart — and judging by Thursday’s reaction, many want it to stay that way.
The idea of merging the CAP’s two-pillar budget into a larger, unified scheme has sparked real unease. Critics warn it could undermine the policy’s independence, threaten the livelihoods of Europe’s farmers, and even put food security at risk — all at a time when, as one MEP put it, “war is at Europe’s doorstep.” The threat posed by Russia — following its unprovoked and brutal invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — is lost on very few, except those already aligned with more extremist groupings on the political margins.
Come hail or high water
War isn’t the only factor weighing on lawmakers’ minds. Some MEPs reminded the Commission that Europe’s agricultural sector has weathered more than one storm: the COVID-19 pandemic, rising production costs, extreme weather events from extensive floods to droughts and wildfires. They argued that CAP reform must reflect these risks — and, in their view, put farmers first.
With regards to farming, the strategic dialogue showed that the Commission is taking the importance of agriculture seriously – MEP Elsi Katainen (Renew, FIN)
Several voices in the chamber pointed out that it was Europe’s farmers who helped pull the continent out of the devastation of World War II. While some speeches leaned into slogans or populist tones, many converged at a common sensibility: “Without farmers, there is no Europe.”
MEP Elsi Katainen (Renew, FIN) anchored the debate back in the present and future rather than the past: “I think this period got off to a good start with regards to farming, the strategic dialogue showed that the Commission is taking the importance of agriculture seriously. But it seems now that the EC needs to make a statement on the source of our food security. We need food security and we need to produce our own food. Farmers find themselves in difficult circumstances now.”
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Here we are now, reassure us
Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen had opened the debate by stressing that he — and by extension the Commission — view farmers and farming as central to broader wellbeing and security.
“Our regions and our farmers will always be at the heart of the union (…) and the CAP plays a pivotal and strategic role in maintaining Europe’s food sovereignty at all times in the current challenging geopolitical setting.”
But he also underscored that while he supports maintaining the CAP’s traditional parameters, reforms were also essential going forward:
“We have, over time, built a policy with a coherent toolbox that helps provide a fair income for farmers, safe and affordable food for consumers, and respect for the environment we work in. I fully agree we need to maintain this coherent toolbox with the ‘commonness’ and the ‘integrity’ of the Common Agricultural Policy and I want to reassure you that we are working in this direction. While we need to build a future on our past successes, we need a CAP that is simpler and finds the right balance (…)”
That said, MEP Dario Nardella (S&D, Italy), also among the first to speak in the plenary session’s opening bloc, prompted any sleight-of-hand or swapping of reform for a significant budget cut: “I just want to clarify our concern about a potential cut to the CAP under the incoming MFF and it appears that we share this concern with the Commissioner. Without resources, the income of our farmers will be at heightened risk; therefore, we will not accept any cut (…) based on a national or EU approach (…).”
Our regions and our farmers will always be at the heart of the union and the CAP plays a pivotal and strategic role in maintaining Europe’s food sovereignty – Commissioner Christophe Hansen
And next?
Were MEPs put at ease? Hard to say. Some will remain jittery about new EC proposals and unexpected surprises. In their allotted time, MEPs across the spectrum certainly urged Mr Hansen to defend the CAP’s structure — while others seized the moment to attack green deal measures. Patriots MEP Raffaele Stancanelli:
“We voted [in committee on Monday] in favour of more than 50 compromises, saying ‘no’ to a single fund, saying ‘yes’ to sufficient funding and ‘yes’ to simplification. However, we are not happy with the way that direct payment will be treated with 50 percent for eco-schemes, so we wanted to loudly complain about that.”
The European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development indeed signalled its stance at the beginning of the week in favour of a report rejecting a single fund approach and reaffirming support for stable, sufficient CAP funding. The mood now seems clear: this is no time to tamper with the CAP. How the European Commission — having breezed through Thursday’s censure vote — will respond to that sentiment is likely to come into sharper focus as deliberations continue at committee level next week.
