Commissioner Christophe Hansen, in a written answer on 18 June 2026, declined to set minimum percentage targets for European Innovation Partnership (EIP-AGRI) projects, arguing that such targets would conflict with the measure's bottom-up nature. The answer responds to a parliamentary question from ECR MEPs Sander Smit and Jessika van Leeuwen, who cited a European Court of Auditors report from 26 February 2026 finding that over half of EIP-AGRI projects yielded no useful innovations and a third had little relevance to farming practice.
Hansen emphasised that the Commission is committed to improving the focus on farmers' innovation needs, noting that under the current Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023-2027, the interactive innovation model became a legal requirement, whereas it was only non-binding guidance during the 2014-2022 period covered by the audit. For the upcoming CAP 2028-2034, the Commission has proposed strengthening dissemination of results, scaling up project outcomes, and ensuring active farmer involvement, as well as a new possibility for Member States to support wider uptake of project results.
While rejecting fixed participation targets, Hansen pointed to an observed increase in farmer participation of around 30% to 40% compared to the previous period, and said the Commission will continue supporting EIP-AGRI under Horizon Europe 2028-2034 via the multi-actor approach. The answer signals a policy orientation that prioritises flexibility and bottom-up innovation over top-down quotas, with institutional follow-up expected in the upcoming CAP legislative proposal and the strategic approach to Research and Innovation.