The new fairer and progressive Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) is now reality. Following the end of tough negotiations between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, the Socialists and Democrats express their satisfaction for the crucial outcome, which turns the CAP into a real pillar of the Social Europe we are fighting for, and also into an indispensable drive towards a more sustainable and economic development for farmers and rural communities.
President of the S&D Group, Iratxe García Pérez, said:
“Today marks a new chapter in the long evolution of the Common Agriculture Policy. For the first time, the CAP will integrate the social dimension for the sustainable development of Europe’s rural areas; this is an important achievement and will open the way to a new fairer policy that will respect our farmers and the agricultural workers while promoting the competitiveness of our farmers and rural areas.
“We ring-fenced 25% of the direct payments for additional environmental actions under the Eco Schemes that, together with the new green architecture strengthening the mandatory requirements for good agricultural practices, will put European agriculture on the right track for the European Green Deal. But this will not be sufficient, and the national plans will have to be consistent with the Farm to Fork and the Biodiversity Strategy in order to make sure that our environmental goals will be reached.”