The Socialists and Democrats have adopted their position paper on The post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy and the Future of Agriculture and Food(opens in a new tab) . Their vision is for a CAP with a robust budget, commensurate with the challenges and aspirations ahead, and with the strategic importance of EU agriculture as a provider of food, ecosystem services, and jobs. The post-2027 CAP must guarantee fairness for EU farmers and agricultural workers; food security and sovereignty for Europe; high quality, affordable food for citizens; thriving rural communities; and support climate action as well as nature protection.
Christophe Clergeau, S&D vice-president for a healthy planet, healthy people and a sustainable food ecosystem, said:
“The next CAP must start from the needs of citizens: safe, high-quality and affordable food; guaranteed food security and food sovereignty; and farming that restores nature. The European Commission’s proposals for the next long-term EU budget and CAP of 16 July go in the opposite direction. By reallocating the EU funding into a single fund and merging rural development with cohesion policy, they weaken solidarity and fragment the European dimension of the CAP. The S&D Group will fight for a strong, fair, and sustainable CAP that maintains its integrity and commonality and leaves no one behind.
“Our plan strengthens the CAP so it can deliver for both people and nature. That means a budget indexed to inflation to help farmers adopt more sustainable practices, and trade rules that ensure a genuine level playing field. Solidarity is the foundation of Europe’s food system: no citizen should be left without access to nutritious and affordable food, and no farmer should be left alone in the transition.”
Dario Nardella, S&D coordinator of the European Parliament’s agriculture and rural development committee, said:
“Farmers are at the heart of the EU’s food system, yet too many are struggling with low incomes compared to national averages, rising production costs, unfair trading practices, and an unlevel playing field in global trade. The European Commission's decision to reduce the CAP budget by over 20% compared to the 2021-2027 levels is not only incongruent with last year’s acknowledgement of the strategic importance of agriculture, but also an accounting trick and a veiled attempt to renationalise the policy.
“With our position paper, we put forward a clear vision for a post-2027 CAP that delivers on food security, fairness for farmers and farm workers, resilience for rural communities, and innovation for the future of EU agriculture. Direct payments provide clear EU added value but, to serve those who need them most, they must remain linked to conditionality and be targeted more effectively within and among Member States. This means prioritising support for active farmers; small and medium-sized farms; young, women, and new farmers; sustainable practices; and areas with natural constraints. Crucial to this is applying mandatory capping – at a range between €75,000 and €95,000 per beneficiary – and degressivity. We call for a reinforced crisis reserve and complementary instruments, such as a dedicated just transition fund for agriculture, to guarantee the economic viability of EU farming, generational renewal, and resilience to market shocks and natural disasters.”
Tiemo Wölken, S&D coordinator of the European Parliament’s environment, climate and food safety committee, said:
“A strong CAP must support farmers in adopting production practices that contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity protection, and higher standards of animal welfare, in line with the One Health approach. To achieve this, we need financial incentives and conditionality, training and advisory services, investment in research and innovation. Practices such as organic farming, agroecology, regenerative agriculture, and agroforestry are powerful tools for improving sustainability and will help lower farming’s environmental impact.
“Protecting pollinators, soils and water; preserving wetlands and peatlands; reducing our reliance on chemical pesticides; and rewarding carbon storage – these steps will help us build farming systems that protect nature and guarantee fair livelihoods for farmers. The next CAP should reward such efforts, so that EU agriculture can deliver long-term food security and sustainability while strengthening the long-term competitiveness of EU farms and ensuring decent incomes for farmers.”
