On the proposal for a regulation establishing the conditions for the implementation of the Union support to the Common Agriculture Policy for the period from 2028 to 2034

for the Committee on Budgets on the proposal for a regulation establishing the conditions for the implementation of the Union support to the Common Agriculture Policy for the period from 2028 to 2034

(COM(2025)0560 – C100169/2025 – 2025/0241(COD))

The Committee on Budgets has carried out a budgetary assessment of the proposal under Rule 58 of the Rules of Procedure and has reached the following conclusions:

The Committee on Budgets,

A.whereas the Commission proposes far-reaching changes to the legal architecture and financing modalities of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), replacing the established two-pillar structure with a new model combining ringfenced amounts, Member State-specific top-ups and co-financing arrangements; whereas such changes raise concerns regarding the predictability, visibility and common nature of CAP financing;

B.whereas the ringfenced financial envelope for CAP interventions is set at EUR 295,70 billion in current prices; whereas Parliament has called for a stronger CAP envelope amounting to EUR 433,01 billion in current prices in order to preserve the policy’s capacity to deliver on food security, strategic autonomy, rural development and territorial cohesion;

C.whereas Parliament has consistently supported the objective of achieving full external convergence of direct payments in order to strengthen cohesion and ensure fairer support conditions between Member States;

D.whereas Parliament’s Interim Report calls for strong, distinct and adequate funding for the CAP and rejects the excessive reliance on non-ringfenced flexibility mechanisms;

1.Reiterates its criticism that the budgetary availabilities for the CAP remain excessively uncertain due to the extensive use of non-pre-allocated resources, flexible programming arrangements and variable co-financing rates; stresses that predictability, timely delivery and simplified access remain essential for farmers, rural areas and long-term investment decisions;

2.Calls for the CAP envelope to be increased from EUR 293,7 billion to EUR 433,01 billion in current prices in order to preserve the real value of support, strengthen food security and ensure the long-term viability of rural areas across the Union;

3.Considers that sufficient human and administrative resources must be available throughout the next MFF to ensure the effective implementation, monitoring and control of CAP expenditure;

4.Stresses that food security must remain a strategic objective of the Union and that maintaining agricultural production capacity across all Member States is essential for strategic autonomy, resilience and crisis preparedness;

5.Calls for a clearly identifiable and adequately funded rural development envelope capable of supporting territorial cohesion, generational renewal and the long-term vitality of rural communities; stresses that rural development expenditure should remain visible and traceable throughout implementation;

6.Recalls that achieving full external convergence of direct payments remains a key objective of the CAP in order to reduce disparities between Member States, strengthen cohesion and ensure fair and balanced support conditions for farmers across the Union;

7.Reiterates its call for a sufficiently detailed and transparent budgetary nomenclature; deplores the proposed merging of CAP and fisheries expenditure into a single budget line and stresses that the nomenclature should allow effective parliamentary scrutiny and oversight;

8.Calls for any mobilisation of the Unity Safety Net to be subject to appropriate transparency and parliamentary scrutiny, including timely and comprehensive information to the European Parliament on its justification, expected beneficiaries and budgetary impact;

9.Stresses that robust monitoring, performance, control and audit frameworks are necessary to ensure that CAP expenditure reaches final recipients, delivers on Union priorities and protects the Union’s financial interests.

As part of its budgetary assessment, the Committee on Budgets also submits the following amendments to the proposal:

Amendment 1

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 2 a (new)

Or. en

Amendment 2

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 2 b (new)

Or. en

Amendment 3

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 9

Or. en

Amendment 4

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 19 a (new)

Or. en

Amendment 5

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 19 b (new)

Or. en

Amendment 6

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – paragraph 2 a (new)

Or. en

Amendment 7

Proposal for a regulation

Article 5 – paragraph 1 a (new)

Or. en

Amendment 8

Proposal for a regulation

Article 11 – paragraph 4 a (new)

Or. en

Amendment 9

Proposal for a regulation

Article 21 – paragraph 2 a (new)

Or. en