Copa and Cogeca have increased pressure on European institutions ahead of negotiations on the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework and the design of the post‑2027 Common Agricultural Policy. The two organisations believe that the proposals presented by the European Commission could reduce the CAP’s ability to respond to the sector’s specific needs and jeopardise its truly common character.
The warning was issued jointly by Copa President Massimiliano Giansanti and Cogeca President Lennart Nilsson in an opinion piece published as political activity resumes in Brussels.
Both leaders argue that the decisions the European Union will take in the coming months will be decisive for the future of European agriculture. The budget debate is also taking place against a backdrop marked by extreme weather events, droughts, wildfires and persistently high costs for essential inputs such as energy and fertilisers.
These difficulties are compounded by trade tensions, international competition, geopolitical conflicts and increasingly tight financial conditions for many farms.
Fear that the CAP may lose its common character
In July 2025, the European Commission presented its proposal for the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework, amounting to nearly two trillion euros. The plan envisages grouping various shared‑management policies—including agriculture and rural development—within so‑called national and regional partnership plans.
Under the Commission’s proposal, Member States would have €453 billion to address different national needs, including those related to agriculture and rural areas. Within this structure, a minimum amount would be reserved for agricultural support, although countries could top up these resources through their own national allocations.
Copa and Cogeca question this model because, in their view, it would force agriculture to compete for funding with other policies and priorities. They also fear that decisions on CAP instruments would be shaped by negotiations between ministries and territorial administrations with differing interests.
The organisations are particularly concerned about the future of the Common Market Organisation and sectoral interventions, whose design requires technical expertise and an accurate reading of the economic and agronomic reality of each activity.
For farmers’ and cooperatives’ representatives, a CAP with fewer resources, without a two‑pillar structure and diluted into national plans could drift away from the objectives set out in the EU treaties: ensuring a fair standard of living for the agricultural population, stabilising markets, guaranteeing supply and providing food at reasonable prices.
Food production as a security priority
Giansanti and Nilsson argue that the European Union must place agri‑food production at the core of its strategy for security, autonomy and competitiveness. They note that other global powers already consider agriculture a strategic asset and have strengthened their policies to protect national food production capacity.
In this context, they warn that Europe would be moving in the opposite direction if it reduces the budgetary and political weight of its agriculture. Their joint position also highlights the role of producers in preserving rural territories, sustaining economic activity and responding to emergencies such as wildfires.
According to figures cited by Copa and Cogeca, agriculture forms the foundation of a European agri‑food chain that generates more than one trillion euros in gross value added. The EU has around 9.1 million farms employing 8.7 million people, and more than 23,000 agricultural cooperatives responsible for over 607,000 jobs.
Innovation without replacing agricultural support
The organisations acknowledge that the future European Competitiveness Fund could help expand innovation, data use and artificial intelligence in farming. However, they stress that these instruments must complement a strong CAP and an operational Common Market Organisation—not replace them.
They also link stable and predictable policies to generational renewal. In their view, the lack of economic and regulatory certainty makes it harder for young people to enter the sector and limits farms’ ability to invest, modernise and undertake productive transitions.
Copa and Cogeca will reinforce this position in October during the European Farmers’ Congress in Stockholm. The event will coincide with a decisive phase of the budget negotiations and will help shape the sector’s response to a reform that, according to both organisations, could profoundly change how European agricultural policy functions.
