Renew MEP Hilde Vautmans has warned the European Commission that greater national flexibility in the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) could undermine the level playing field for transnational producer organisations in the fruit and vegetable sector. In a written parliamentary question on 22 July 2026, Vautmans raised concerns that disparities in national co-financing and intervention measures between Member States could lead to distortions of competition and encourage growers to join organisations in countries with more favourable conditions.
The question, addressed to the Commission, highlights that the current CAP already allows Member States significant room for tailored implementation, and that the post-2027 CAP is expected to continue this trend. However, Vautmans points to warnings from the fruit and vegetable sector that the pendulum may swing too far, particularly under the proposed CAP for 2028–2034. She asks three specific questions: how the Commission will prevent distortions from insufficient national co-financing; whether it recognises the risk of growers migrating to more favourable Member States; and what European minimum rules it intends to apply to ensure a level playing field in the internal market.
The MEP's intervention targets a potential cleavage between national sovereignty and EU internal market cohesion. On one hand, greater flexibility allows Member States to adapt CAP measures to local conditions, potentially benefiting producers in countries with strong support. On the other hand, it risks fragmenting the single market for fruit and vegetables, where transnational producer organisations operate across borders. The main stakeholders affected are transnational producer organisations, which could face competitive disadvantages if their members are in less supportive Member States; national authorities, which may face pressure to match more generous schemes; and growers, who could relocate their membership to more favourable jurisdictions. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks, and its answer will signal whether it prioritises national flexibility or market harmonisation in the next CAP design.