Several agriculture ministers from a number of EU member states have expressed concerns over the planned moves to strengthen capping and degressivity in the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post-2027.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon was just one of those ministers who expressed these views at a meeting yesterday (Monday, November 17) of agriculture ministers in the Council of the EU.

The minister told his EU counterparts that the proposals on capping and flattening farm payments could have "unintended effects" on farm productivity.

Similar concerns were raised by other ministers at yesterday's meeting, according to the council's official statement afterwards.

The council said that its members expressed broad support for ensuring flexibility for member states when implementing the direct payments.

Many member state delegations were skeptical about capping and degressivity.

Several ministers and member state representatives stated that direct payments should target farmers who have food production as their main source of income, while others expressed a need to provide such support to part-time farmers.

On other CAP-related issues, ministers also expressed general support for the establishment of food stocks to prepare for times of crisis, while also highlighting the need to ensure the proper functioning of the market.

Trade

Outside of CAP, another item on the agenda at yesterday's council meeting was trade relations, including with Ukraine.

The council heard that Ukraine is a "major exporter of food and feed" to the EU, in part replacing previous exports from Russia.

According to the council, Ukraine's importance to the EU can continue to grow, especially in the area of protein diversification.

On more broad trade issues, many ministers called for adequate safeguards for sensitive products that may be impacted by trade agreements and negotiations.

On the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement specifically, the ministers called for "effective implementation" of the safeguard mechanisms announced by the commission.

Commenting after the meeting, Danish Minister for Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries Jacob Jensen (who chairs these meetings as Denmark currently holds the rotating presidency of the council) said: "[The] discussions underline three priorities. We must focus on food security and targeting of support; we need close agricultural trade with Ukraine; and we need real simplification of EU food regulation."