Commissioner Christophe Hansen, in a written answer on 18 June 2026, outlined the European Commission's intention to better target income support under the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) towards smaller farmers, including those in island and mountain regions. The answer, responding to a question from Greek MEP Galato Alexandraki (ECR), signals a policy orientation that would strengthen redistribution of direct payments, maintain coupled support for sectors with natural constraints, and introduce a simplified scheme for small farms.
The answer confirms that the Commission's July 2025 CAP proposal already includes measures to differentiate income support, introduce an increased and simple payment for small farmers, and apply degressivity and capping of payments. For coupled support, the Commission proposes a potentially increased envelope and extended eligibility to area-based sectors such as grass and herbaceous forages in areas at risk of abandonment. Member States would retain flexibility to define targeted sectors based on local needs, within set pre-conditions and limits. The proposed small farmers' scheme would offer a payment per hectare or a lump sum, with exemptions from farm stewardship requirements.
This response comes after Alexandraki's question of 22 April 2026, which highlighted that Greece has around 600,000 agricultural holdings averaging only 7 hectares, and argued that uniform CAP rules disadvantage small family farms in island and mountainous areas. The Commission's answer does not commit to mandatory redistribution but points to the July 2025 proposal as the framework for negotiations. The post-2027 CAP is central to the next EU budget, with legislative discussions expected to intensify in the coming months.