At the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 23 June 2026, France raised concerns about the complexity of land-availability controls under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), proposing to shift the burden of proof to other operators unless the landowner provides documentation. The Cypriot Presidency, reporting on the 59th conference of EU paying agency directors held in Nicosia (25-27 May), noted that the issue affects several member states. The European Commission did not directly endorse France's proposal but announced two forthcoming notes: one on practical aspects of controlling land at disposal, another on audit simplification and facilitation. The Presidency welcomed the Commission's texts and closed the item, with the Council taking note of the information and comments. No other member state intervened substantively. The conference, attended by over 100 participants including all 27 EU agencies and candidate country representatives, served as a stocktaking on CAP implementation, control mechanisms, and rural development, with support for vine growers cited as a direct impact example. France argued that despite eased rules, controls remain problematic for farmers and administrations, especially in fragmented cadastral zones in breeding areas, and noted it lacks a national database for such checks. The Commission linked the debate to broader CAP performance. Affected stakeholders include EU paying agencies, farmers, and national administrations managing CAP funds. The proposal, if adopted, would reduce administrative burden for farmers but could increase risks of non-compliance and shift verification costs to other operators.
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