Overview
The analysis is based on the legislative proposal for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) framework for 2028–2034, filed under procedure 2025/0241(COD). The file is currently at the first reading stage in the European Parliament, awaiting a committee decision. The examined source documents include a draft opinion from the European Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI-PA-784303) and a Council document (ST 6527 2026 INIT) transmitting the formal opinion of the European Court of Auditors on the proposals.
Legislative timeline
The legislative procedure is ongoing at first reading. The European Parliament received the proposal on 23 October 2025, upon which it was referred to the responsible committee. Recent preparatory work in the Council includes a meeting on 16 March 2026 to discuss the proposed regulation establishing implementation conditions, and Working Party meetings on 26-27 February 2026 under the Cyprus Presidency to discuss the post-2027 CAP framework.
Institutional handling
The lead committee in the European Parliament is the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI). The Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI) has provided a draft opinion on the file. On the Commission side, the responsible Commissioner is Christophe Hansen. Within the Council, the file is handled by the Agriculture and Fisheries Council configuration (AGRIFISH).
Stakeholder reactions
Stakeholder engagement on this legislative file has been substantial, with 68 documented meetings involving 52 distinct organisations. These included 40 meetings with Members of the European Parliament, 20 with Commissioners, and 8 with European Commission staff. The most active organisations in these contacts were Copa-Cogeca, Soil Capital, LRF-Lantbrukarnas Riksförbund, the National Development Bank of Lithuania (ILTE), and the Irish Farmers' Association.
Specific positions emerging from these engagements show divergence on key topics. On the issue of agricultural funding, both Copa-Cogeca and the National Development Bank of Lithuania (ILTE) expressed opposition, with Copa-Cogeca discussing the Multiannual Financial Framework architecture and ILTE aligning with calls for increased EU funding for agriculture. Regarding chemicals regulation, the International Copper Association Europe (ICAE) expressed support, emphasizing low copper risk and concerns about a rushed Environmental Quality Standards process. On climate efforts, Agora Energiewende's position was one of opposition, advocating for faster climate transition through mechanisms like carbon removal certificates.
Media coverage
Media coverage from the database includes three articles from Germany and Portugal. One report notes that the CAP reform faces strong pushback from Portugal’s CAP president, who argues the Commission’s plan is a drastic mismatch with a growing budget. Another article covers a farmers’ protest in Serpa, Portugal, which targeted both the EU-Mercosur trade deal and the CAP reform, highlighting concerns over unfair competition and potential income losses. A German article reports that EU farm subsidies are set to be cut for the 2028-2034 period, triggering pushback from East German states, and notes a proposal from Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to early mobilize additional CAP funds to mitigate the impact.