The new multi-annual EU budget is supposed to run from 2021 to 2027, but as negotiations dragged on, the Commission was forced to extend the current CAP programme until the end of 2022.
Among the most important changes, the CAP introduces a new way of working: each member state will design a strategic plan outlining how it intends to spend the CAP funds taking into account national needs and characteristics.
The European Parliament particularly celebrated the inclusion of a mechanism to penalise those who breach EU labour rules and “repeatedly fail to comply with EU requirements”, like animal welfare.
“I think that today there is clear progress in terms of taking the environment into account.
However, as European economies diversified and political priorities changed, the CAP’s share fell below the 40% threshold, still a significant proportion for a sector that contributes around 1.3 % to the EU’s GDP.
The CAP provides farmers with direct payments to make their businesses more profitable, reduce risks associated with weather and guarantee food supply chains across the continent.
Given its oversized financial allocation, the CAP has undergone several reforms since its first introduction in 1962.
The future of the CAP quickly rose to the top of the agenda: the agricultural sector is responsible for around 10% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions.
His boss, Ursula von der Leyen, had to intervene to quash the speculation and confirmed the proposal would remain on the table.
Last week, however, Timmermans celebrated the news of the provisional agreement, calling it a “game-changer” and a “step in the right direction” that aligns the CAP with the Green Deal.