As discussions on the future Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) gather pace, IFOAM Organics Europe is working to ensure that organic farming remains at the heart of Europe’s most influential agriculture policy.
With this new budget structure, where the CAP is not a standalone program anymore, but a chapter of the National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs), the organic movement is looking at the whole NRPPs to ensure a high level of environmental ambition and continuous support for organic farmers. While the NRPPs will induce a higher level of nationalisation in the Common Agricultural Policy, organic farming remains an EU project, with the same requirements for all European organic farmers.
Coming back on the discussions in Brussels for the next programming period: the legislative process around the NRPP legislation is advancing. The amendments to the proposal were tabled by MEPs in June.
What is likely to change from the initial Commission proposal?
While nothing is yet decided, the European Parliament favours a more targeted approach of the NRPP, ie a specific line of budget for each program of the NRPP. The original proposal was based on an approach of big budgetary envelopes and was leaving more flexibility to Member States to decide the amount allocated for each program.
When it comes to the CAP, it proposed to re-introduce a two-pillars structure, with a significant increase of budget, from 295,7 billion to 426,7 billion. Of this total, 320 would dedicate to income-support interventions and 106 for rural development interventions. Nothing prevents the Parliament to introduce these changes, but the institution does not have the power to significantly engage in the discussions on the overall budget. The Council is the one leading the process and negotiating the amounts dedicated to each program – including the NRPP and hence, the CAP.
The Council’s position on the budget is expected for the end of 2026; this is when the discussions with the Parliament will intensify, to find a common ground on two different visions for the future EU budget.
Support to organic farming is the most efficient way to incentivize farmers to adopt more sustainable practices.
On its draft report for the NRPP, the European Parliament introduced one of the key demands of IFOAM Organics Europe: the ringfencing of 35% of the second pillar for agri-environmental and climate actions, including support to organic conversion and maintenance. While the European organic movement is welcoming this introduction, the ringfencing should be on the total CAP envelope and not only the second pillar, to ensure that all Member States invest in ambitious measures to support farmers to transition to sustainable methods of production, such as organic farming.
The amendments on the CAP Regulation are following a similar approach: Norbert Lins, rapporteur of the CAP file in the European Parliament, also proposes to introduce a ringfencing for agri-environmental measures on the second pillar of the CAP structure. One significant difference with the NRPP report however: no share of the second pillar is yet decided for the ringfencing.
Norbert Lins also introduces major changes in the CAP proposal, including a higher threshold for the capping of area-based payments, going from 100 000 per year to 500 000, a deletion of the degressivity mechanism (paying less progressively for larger farms) replaced by redistributive payments (paying more for the first hectares), a mandatory target of 8% dedicated to interventions targeted to young farmers. The transition payment is lightened up and made voluntary.
The vote for the NRPP legislation is scheduled in Committee for November while the CAP is expected to be voted in December
The discussions on the CAP are also advancing in the Council. The Council proposes to maintain a similar budget for the NRPP and the CAP as the one proposed by the Commission. It does not show signs of re-introducing a two-pillars structure. When it comes to organic support, some Member States of the Council question the mandatory obligation to support organic farmers through conversion and maintenance support. IFOAM Organics Europe raised its concerns about this approach which undermines the potential of the future CAP for environmental ambitions.
Like reminded by the report of the French Court of Auditors, support to organic farming is the most efficient way to incentivize farmers to adopt more sustainable practices, therefore it is crucial to maintain a strong support for organic in the 27 different NRPPs. While the obligation for conversion and maintenance support does not guarantee a significant level of funding, having this mandatory requirement for all Member States is a first step in the right direction and it should be maintained in the CAP Regulation.
The new president of IFOAM Organics Europe, Dóra Drexler, reminded during a press conference held 1 July:
“Organic farming is an essential public policy tool to drive the transformation towards sustainable and resilient agri-food systems in the EU. It delivers solutions to many challenges like lowering the EU’s dependency on synthetic inputs, contributing to Europe’s food sovereignty, offering new opportunities to youth in rural areas thanks to better economic prospects, and many more. The CAP supported the development of organic farming in the last decades and should continue to adequately support organic farmers, as organic represents the easiest and most efficient way to uphold environmental ambitions for the CAP in the new budget structure.”
Prior to this press conference, the European organic movement, gathered in Brussels for the General Assembly of IFOAM Organics Europe and formally handed over a statement on the future of the CAP to the Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen.
Author: Laura Sauques, Sustainable Food Systems & CAP Policy Manager.
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