Europe’s farming organisations have sounded the alarm in a "landmark declaration" to defend the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and its budget.

Europe’s "last chance to rebuild its agriculture on solid ground" is now - which was the unequivocal message delivered from Stockholm by Europe’s farming and agri-cooperative organisations at the 12th Congress of European Farmers.

Addressing EU heads of state and government gathered in Brussels, farm leaders warned that decisions on the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and EU budget will determine Europe’s ability to feed its citizens and remain secure, competitive and resilient.

From October 14-16, the principal farming and agri-cooperative organisations from across the EU are meeting in the Swedish capital for the biennial congress organised by Copa and Cogeca, in close cooperation with the Federation of Swedish Farmers.

Challenges

Bringing together around 400 delegates and 54 speakers, the congress is addressing the major challenges facing European agriculture, including competitiveness, resilience, food security, input costs, innovation, investment and generational renewal.

Copa and Cogeca said the congress takes place as the direction of European agricultural policy "remains unclear and far from reassuring".

"For two years, farming organisations have mobilised across Europe," the organisations said.

"We have taken to the streets of Brussels and national capitals to defend one fundamental red line: a strong, common and properly funded CAP."

Current proposals for the future EU budget and CAP "risk weakening the resources, common character and predictability" of European agricultural policy "precisely when farmers need stability and a clear long-term perspective", the organisations said.

'Landmark appeal'

Against this background, European farming leaders have adopted the 'Stockholm Declaration', describing this as a "landmark collective appeal" urging Europe’s leaders to recognise the gravity of the situation and take decisive action, as "European agriculture is approaching breaking point".

The declaration calls for farming to be recognised as a pillar of Europe’s security, preparedness and defence.

It calls for a CAP budget maintained at least at its current level and adjusted for inflation, with genuinely ring-fenced funding.

The declaration also calls for agriculture to be placed at the heart of Europe’s competitiveness agenda.

Meeting

This month's European Council meeting is currently taking place (October 15-16) with the EU budget on the agenda.

This comes as the Irish presidency published its compromise proposal, or negotiating box, on the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) on October 10.

Under those proposals, the budget for the CAP over that seven-year period would not change from what the European Commission proposed last year.

That means the next CAP would only have funding of a little over €290 billion, down over 20% on the allocation made for the current CAP.

'Milestone'

A spokesperson for the Irish presidency said the publication of the negotiating box marks a "major milestone for the presidency, and is the result of intensive exchanges undertaken by the Irish presidency with member states and EU institutions over the last three months".

"In publishing the revised negotiating box, the Irish presidency has worked to facilitate consensus and provide a realistic basis for discussion by EU leaders on the MFF, in order to reach agreement before the end of 2026," the spokesperson said.

"The objective of the revised negotiating box is to provide a modern, flexible budget that invests in new and emerging priorities and protects treaty-based policies such as the CAP, while at the same time reflecting the fiscal realities that all member states face.

"It sets out an overall volume representing a 30% increase in spending on the current MFF – or a nearly 47% increase with inflation – while also facilitating an 8% saving on the commission’s MFF proposal.

"Importantly, it retains the national allocations as proposed by the Cyprus presidency against the backdrop of demands for significant cuts."

Taoiseach

Member states have the opportunity to reflect on this proposal at the European Council meeting currently taking place.

Speaking today on the next EU budget, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Ireland "saw our role as honest brokers, putting our own preferences to one side and saying 'we need to produce a negotiating box that can really be a catalyst for negotiations to begin in earnest in respect of the next budget'".

He said it is "imperative" to conclude the budget by the end of the year.

"We believe that we've landed the negotiating box in a situation which enables that to happen," the Taoiseach said.

He said there are issues related to the budget to be resolved between now and Christmas, but he believes President of the European Council, Antonio Costa "has a basis now to really move on in terms of the negotiations".

"I think the landing zone is one where people will engage, people will take their positions today, but I do sense that people feel there's a pathway to getting this resolved by the end of the year," the Taoiseach said.

"It is a challenging task, because there's a real divergence of opinion between those who want a lower budget, those who want a higher budget, and those who want to protect the traditional programmes."