Minister for Agriculture welcomes EU position for future CAP

O agriculture Minister today welcomed the consensus in the European Union (EU) on the architecture of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2027 by contributing to protecting financing and simplifying the rules, and rejected cuts in the final agreement.

This concerns the partial negotiating position of the EU Council on the regulation establishing the CAP framework after 2027, adopted unanimously on Monday evening at the ministerial meeting in Luxembourg.

“It’s a positive step. The negotiation has not ended, but we are moving in a good direction”, said José Manuel Fernandes, in statements to the Lusa agency.

The countries have advocated a simpler and more flexible framework, adapted to national and regional needs, but the text has not yet covered financial issues, which are still under discussion in the framework of the Community budget for 2028-2034.

In the statements to Lusa, the Minister of Agriculture pointed out that the consensus already reached “helps with the objective of not reducing the funds for the CAP”, as well as “simplifying legislation, reducing bureaucracy and transition between financial frameworks”.

“ I hope there will be no change in the amounts of national envelopes for agriculture and cohesion,” he said.

Furthermore, according to José Manuel Fernandes, “money is not enough”.

“ It is also necessary to simplify, reduce bureaucracy and ensure that there is no legislation that prevents the necessary investments ", highlighted.

In these budgetary negotiations, the Portuguese minister of protection took as concerns “predictability and stability” for Portuguese farmers.

Portugal leaves for negotiations on the next EU budget with a proposed national allocation of EUR 35.1 billion for 2028-2034, but still calls for at least EUR 900 million for the outermost regions.

From the total ‘cake’ envisaged, the Minister of Agriculture reiterated that Portugal has foreseen EUR 7.4 billion for agricultural areas and EUR 2.5 billion for rural development.

Meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, EU Agriculture Ministers unanimously adopted a negotiating position on CAP reform for 2028-2034, which will now be negotiated with the European Parliament.

The agreement is partial, as policy financing depends on the negotiations on the next Community budget to take place in the coming months.

Forecasts are already simpler rules, more flexibility and more targeted support for active farmers, young farmers and small farms.

A strengthening of risk management and crisis response instruments, support for generational renewal and maintenance of environmental objectives is also planned.

The EU Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028-2034, which defines the priorities and distribution of European funds in the long term, will be negotiated by the Heads of State and Government of the Union at European summits in November and December.

Although EU leaders aim to reach an agreement by the end of the year, the negotiations oppose those countries which, like Portugal, advocate maintaining the financing of traditional cohesion and agricultural policies to those who demand greater investment in priorities such as security and innovation, with Germany at their head.