Commissioner Christophe Hansen, in a written answer on 29 June 2026, defended the Common Agricultural Policy's existing framework as sufficiently flexible to allow Member States to design risk management tools accessible to small and fragmented farms, while ruling out EU-level earmarking for island, mountain or other naturally constrained areas.
The answer responds to a parliamentary question from Galato Alexandraki (ECR, Greece), who had cited a World Bank study presented by the Commission on 25 March 2026 showing that small farms face high costs, limited options and complex procedures in accessing risk management tools. Alexandraki noted that Greece has around 600,000 farms averaging seven hectares, with over 70% smaller than five hectares, and more than 70% of agricultural land in areas with natural constraints.
Hansen outlined that the CAP already provides a robust framework for risk management, including income stabilisation interventions, incentives for risk transfer via insurance, and crisis payments, alongside preventive investments and environmental payments to build long-term resilience. He stressed that Member States have flexibility to tailor measures to national and regional contexts, including deciding on access to specific tools and support levels for small farms or areas with natural constraints.
The Commissioner announced that the Commission intends to include risk management in the recommendations it will issue to Member States for the future CAP and National and Regional Partnership Plans for 2028-2034. However, he explicitly stated that to grant budget flexibility, CAP rules do not provide for specific earmarking for island, mountain or other areas with natural constraints.
The answer contains no concrete numerical targets or deadlines, instead reaffirming the existing framework and signalling that future guidance will address risk management. The policy orientation maintains the current decentralised approach, leaving design and targeting to Member States. Institutional follow-up is expected through the upcoming CAP recommendations for the 2028-2034 period, though no specific timeline was given.
Small and fragmented farms in Greece and similar EU regions may continue to face barriers if national authorities do not prioritise tailored tools, while larger farms are likely to benefit more from existing instruments. National administrations gain continued flexibility but bear responsibility for addressing access gaps. Insurance and cooperative structures could see increased demand if Member States design supportive measures, but no specific increased support for small contracts or cooperatives was promised. Environmental and resilience-building measures remain available but are not specifically targeted at the smallest holdings.