Within the discussions on the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the European Union (EU), the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), in collaboration with various members of the Think 2030 platform, including BC3, presents “Transforming EU land use and the CAP: a post 2024 visión ,” a proposal addressing the need for agricultural and land use policies that c reflect the challenges of sustainability in an integrated way.

“The urgency to address sustainability challenges in agriculture and rural areas is key to adapting to climate change. Increasingly recurrent extreme weather conditions, such as prolonged heatwaves or droughts, directly impact the agricultural sector. The document advocates for a transition towards sustainable and resilient agriculture and land use, integrated into a broader transformation of the EU’s food systems.” (Inmaculada Batalla, BC3 researcher)

The document proposes various funding priorities, including transitional assistance aids,ongoing public financing  for environmental services and publics in agriculture, subsidies for advice and training, as well as investment in innovation and research. Additionally, the policy brief emphasizes the need to incentivize farmers and land managers to support them in implementing sustainable practices and compensate vulnerable groups from negative shocks as part of a just transition. 

In this context, the vision presented by IEEP calls for deeper changes in the CAP and the EU budget.. This vision sparks debate by presenting an option to progressively redirect the substantial allocation of the EU budget (Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF)) for direct payments during the next financial period (2028-34) towards a new fund for sustainable land management and transition. This fund would support the sector’s transition to sustainability, with other authorities such as DG Climate and DG Environment managing the fund, promoting a collaborative approach with DG Agriculture.

This document aims to generate discussion about the possibility of a deeper change in agricultural and land use policies in the EU. These proposals will be presented in future political discussions and will be part of the impact assessment options for the future of the CAP in the period 2027-2034.