Merging CAP pillars into one fund would be 'historic misstep' - Copa
An EU farm organisation has written an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, saying that the proposal to merge the two pillars of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) into a single fund would be a "historic misstep".
Concerns were raised earlier this year that the next CAP, under the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) – the EU’s long term budget – may see funding for the two pillars merged into a single funding stream.
At present, CAP is comprised of Pillar I and Pillar II.
The former is associated with direct payments and includes the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and the eco-scheme.
Pillar II, which is ostensibly based on rural development, includes schemes such as the Agri Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) and the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS).
In a letter to President von der Leyen this week, Copa Cogeca, which represents EU farm organisations and agricultural co-operatives, said it is "profoundly alarmed" by the possibility of the two CAP pillars being merged.
The letter said: "In an era of geopolitical instability, economic uncertainty, and mounting societal challenges, a strong and resilient agricultural sector is not just strategic. It is the keystone that supports the EU’s entire security architecture.
"Copa Cogeca and its members representing European farmers and co-operatives are steadfast in our commitment to ensuring food security, sustainability, as well as economic and social stability for 450 million citizens of Europe and beyond.
"The pan-European agricultural protests of 2024, though driven by different causes, all revealed the vulnerability of our communities, exposed to the cumulative and conflicting effects of policies in an increasingly complex market environment," Copa said.
The letter referenced the EU Vision for Agriculture and Food, which was published in February, and which the farm organisation said "acknowledges the sector’s strategic importance".
"The farming community is still grappling with numerous challenges, such as geopolitical instability, high energy prices, legal uncertainties, and stricter environmental regulations," the letter said.
"While farmers have made significant progress in improving productivity and reducing emissions, they still face rising costs and unfair competition, which is eroding their income and making it harder to remain competitive.
"As you, President von der Leyen, rightly emphasised, we are entering a new era of rearmament in which Europe must assume greater responsibility for its own security. In this spirit, we firmly believe that there is no security without food security, and no strategic autonomy without food autonomy," Copa said.
"This is why we are profoundly alarmed by recent discussions on reallocating EU funding into a single fund, effectively eliminating...the pillars of the CAP. Such a shift represents a fundamental change to the governance of the next MFF and would severely undermine the CAP," the group added.
According to its letter, dismantling the two-pillar CAP structure will lead to "a further loss of commonality in European policies".
"Besides further weakening the Single Market, this will have far-reaching consequences for food production and security, and the maintenance of vibrant and populated rural areas in the EU."
"The multiple transitions required for European agriculture can and will only be achieved if they are properly financed. As the European Commission prepares to present the next MFF, expected for July 2025, we call on you, President von der Leyen, to effectively prioritise agriculture as a fundamental pillar of Europe’s future by turning your words into concrete action," Copa said.
The farm organisation has requested a meeting with the commission president to discuss CAP and the next MFF.
