The 20% cut to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the EU budget's revised negotiating box has sparked a backlash from farming bodies.

A statement released by European farm lobbying group, Copa-Cogeca, said that, as negotiations enter a decisive phase, the latest negotiating box offered "no credible safeguard to preserve the CAP’s historic structure, autonomy and common character".

The the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU's revised negotiating box for the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) was presented by Irish Minister for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne, in Brussels, Belgium today, October 10.

Copa-Cogeca said: "We have repeatedly sounded the alarm over an initial European Commission proposal that would undermine one of the foundations of the European project".

The lobbying group said the agricultural model was weakening across Europe due to the combined pressure of climatic, geopolitical and economic shocks.

"In times of increased challenges and uncertainty we also deplore the proposed reduction of the amounts allocated to the Unity Safety Net.

"The proposed negotiating box also misses the opportunity to ring-fence the additional amounts that could be dedicated to agriculture, following the initiative put forward by the President of the European Commission in two separate letters.

"Without binding safeguards, these additional amounts would remain at the discretion of member states, with no guarantee that they would be allocated to agriculture and therefore contribute to strengthening CAP".

The statement added that the proposed cuts would "weaken European agriculture, fragment one of the EU’s most emblematic and integrated common policies, undermine the single market and run counter to the spirit of the EU Treaties".

"Weakening the CAP would only fuel food inflation and further increase the pressure on European consumers."

Firm rejection

Adding their voice to Copa-Cogeca, the European Parliament’s lead co-rapporteurs on the next MFF, Siegfried Muresan and Carla Tavares, said in a statement that they "firmly reject the draft negotiating position emerging from the council".

"The Irish Presidency’s proposal cannot be the starting point for an agreement.

"A cut of 8% to the commission's proposal, which already only keeps the budget at the level of the current period, would mean weakening our capacity to act, just as Europe is asked to do more on competitiveness, defence, and security.

"It would leave Europe less capable of protecting its citizens, and of competing economically with the world’s major economies, they said.

"It would mean underfunding agriculture and reducing support for our regions."