Aims of the common agricultural policy
Launched in 1962, the EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP) is a partnership between agriculture and society, and between Europe and its farmers. It aims to:
- support farmers and improve agricultural productivity, ensuring a stable supply of affordable food;
- safeguard European Union farmers to make a reasonable living;
- help tackle climate change and the sustainable management of natural resources;
- maintain rural areas and landscapes across the EU;
- keep the rural economy alive by promoting jobs in farming, agri-food industries and associated sectors.
The CAP is a common policy for all EU countries. It is managed and funded at European level from the resources of the EU’s budget.
The CAP in practice
Farming is unlike most other businesses, as the following special considerations apply:
- despite the importance of food production, farmers’ income is around 40% lower compared to non-agricultural income;
- agriculture depends more on the weather and the climate than many other sectors;
- there is an inevitable time gap between consumer demand and farmers being able to supply – growing more wheat or producing more milk inevitably takes time.
While being cost-effective, farmers should work in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner, and maintain our soils and biodiversity.
Business uncertainties and the environmental impact of farming justify the significant role that the public sector plays for our farmers. The CAP takes action with the following measures:
- income support through direct payments ensures income stability, and remunerates farmers for environmentally friendly farming and delivering public services not normally paid for by the markets, such as taking care of the countryside;
- market measures to deal with difficult market situations such as a sudden drop in demand due to a health scare, or a fall in prices as a result of a temporary oversupply on the market;
- rural development measures with national and regional programmes to address the specific needs and challenges facing rural areas.
CAP 2023-27
To consolidate the role of European agriculture for the future, the CAP has evolved over the years to meet changing economic circumstances and citizens’ requirements and needs.
On 2 December 2021, the agreement on the reform of the CAP was formally adopted. The CAP 2023-27 entered into force on 1 January 2023. It is a modernised policy, with a strong emphasis on results and performance.
It seeks to ensure a sustainable future for European farmers, provide more targeted support to smaller farms, and allow greater flexibility for EU countries to adapt measures to local conditions.
Key areas
The common agricultural policy is key to securing the future of agriculture and forestry, as well as achieving the objectives of the European Green Deal.
The CAP upholds environmental rules and encourages green farming.
The CAP supports rural communities and facilitates the essential roles that agriculture and forestry play in wider society.
The CAP ensures that sustainable agriculture and forestry can be profitable and competitive, today and in the future.
Ten specific objectives
The policy focuses on ten specific objectives, linked to common EU goals for social, environmental, and economic sustainability in agriculture and rural areas.
The Commission has produced a series of briefs, setting out the main facts and policy relevance of each objective.
National strategic plans
Each EU country designed a national CAP Strategic Plan, combining funding for income support, rural development, and market measures. When designing their strategic plans, EU countries contributed to the ten specific objectives through a toolbox of broad policy measures provided by the Commission, which could be shaped around national needs and capabilities.
Focus on performance and results
CAP legislation lays down a common set of indicators as part of a new performance, monitoring and evaluation framework. The indicators will be monitored through annual performance reports and a biannual review of the performance of CAP Strategic Plans to assess the progress of EU countries in reaching their targets and the objectives of the CAP.
CAP financing
The level of support for EU farmers from the overall EU budget reflects the many variables involved in ensuring continued access to high quality food, which includes functions such as income support to farmers, climate change action, and maintaining vibrant rural communities.
The CAP is financed through two funds as part of the EU budget:
- the European agricultural guarantee fund (EAGF) provides direct support and funds market measures;
- the European agricultural fund for rural development (EAFRD) finances rural development.
Payments are managed at national level by each EU country. Information about the recipients of CAP payments is published by each country, in accordance with EU transparency rules.
€387 billion in funding will be allocated to the CAP for the 2021-27 period. This comes from two different funds: the EAGF, which has been set at €291.1 billion (in current prices); and the EAFRD, which will amount to €95.5 billion.
Related information
The benefits of the CAP
The CAP defines the conditions that will allow farmers to fulfil their functions in society in the following ways:
Food production
- There are around 10 million farms in the EU and 17 million people work regularly in the sector. They provide an impressive variety of abundant, affordable, safe and good quality products.
- The EU is known throughout the world for its food and culinary traditions and is one of the world’s leading producers and net exporters of agri-food products. Due to its exceptional agricultural resources the EU could and should play a key role in ensuring food security for the world at large.
Rural community development
- Within our countryside and its precious natural resources, there are many jobs linked to farming. Farmers need machinery, buildings, fuel, fertilisers and healthcare for their animals, also known as ‘upstream’ sectors.
- Other people are busy in ‘downstream’ operations – such as preparing, processing, and packaging food, as well as in food storage, transport and retail. The farming and food sectors together provide nearly 40 million jobs in the EU.
- To operate efficiently and remain modern and productive, farmers, upstream and downstream sectors need ready access to the latest information on agricultural issues, farming methods and market developments. During the period 2014-20, the resources of the CAP were directed towards providing high-speed technologies, improved internet services and infrastructure to 18 million rural citizens – the equivalent of 6.4% of the EU’s rural population.
Environmentally sustainable farming
- Farmers have a double challenge – to produce food whilst simultaneously protecting nature and safeguarding biodiversity. Using natural resources prudently is essential for our food production and for our quality of life – today, tomorrow and for future generations.
Key contributors to the CAP
The European Commission regularly consults civil dialogue groups and agricultural committees to best shape law and policies governing agriculture. Expert groups provide input to the European Commission, such as the agricultural market task force on unfair trading practices.
The Commission carries out impact assessments when planning, preparing and proposing new European legislation, examining a need for EU action and the possible impacts of available solutions. They are a key part of the EU’s better regulation agenda. Impact assessments for agriculture and rural development took place in 2003 (mid term review), 2008 (health check – SEC(2008) 1885), 2011 (CAP towards 2020 – SEC(2011) 1153 final), and 2018 (support for strategic plans post 2020 – SWD(2018) 301 final).
The EU's Court of Auditors also plays a major role in supervising expenditure in agriculture.
The Eurobarometer surveys examine the opinions of EU citizens on a range of topics that affect their daily lives.
Legal foundations
The legal basis for the common agricultural policy is established in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
The CAP 2023-27 is covered by three regulations, which generally apply since 1 January 2023:
- Regulation (EU) 2021/2116, repealing Regulation (EU) 1306/2013 on the financing, management and monitoring of the CAP;
- Regulation (EU) 2021/2115, establishing rules on support for national CAP strategic plans, and repealing Regulations (EU) 1305/2013 and 1307/2013;
- Regulation (EU) 2021/2117, amending Regulation (EU) 1308/2013 on the common organisation of the agricultural markets; Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products; Regulation (EU) No 251/2014 on geographical indications for aromatised wine products; and Regulation (EU) No 228/2013 laying down measures for agriculture in the outermost regions of the EU.
The following four regulations set out the different elements of the CAP 2014-20:
- Regulation (EU) 1307/2013 on rules for direct payments to farmers;
- Regulation (EU) 1308/2013 on a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products;
- Regulation (EU) 1305/2013 on support for rural development;
- Regulation (EU) 1306/2013 on the financing, management and monitoring of the CAP.
For the years 2021-22, a transitional regulation (Regulation (EU) 2020/2220) was in force. The regulation laid down conditions for the provision of support from the EAGF and EAFRD during these years, extending and amending provisions set out in the preceding regulations. It remained in force until the new CAP began.
The CAP is managed by the Commission's department for agriculture and rural development. It can adopt delegated and implementing acts to implement the common agricultural policy.
Related information
Timeline
- 2027
The Commission will undertake a second performance review of each CAP Strategic Plan.
- 2025
The Commission will undertake a first performance review of each CAP strategic plan and request - if necessary - specific follow-up actions to EU countries. - 2023
The CAP 2023-27 enters into force on 1 January 2023. The CAP Strategic Plans begin in all EU countries.
- 2022Celebrating 60 years of the CAP
The history of the CAP from its origin is summarised in the CAP since 1962 factsheet.
- 2021-22
During these years, a transitional regulation is in force. The regulation extends most of the CAP rules that were in place during the 2014-20 period, while also ensuring a smooth transition to the future framework of the CAP Strategic Plans.
- 2021
On 2 December 2021, the agreement on the reform of the CAP is formally adopted.
- 2018
On 1 June 2018, the European Commission presents legislative proposals for the next reform of the CAP.
- 2013
The CAP is reformed to strengthen the competitiveness of the sector, promote sustainable farming and innovation, support jobs and growth in rural areas and to move financial assistance towards the productive use of land. The reformed CAP is in place for the 2014-20 programming period.
- 2003
The CAP provides income support. A new CAP reform cuts the link between subsidies and production. Farmers now receive an income support, on condition that they look after the farmland and fulfil food safety, environmental, animal health and welfare standards.
- 1992
The CAP shifts from market support to producer support. Price support is scaled down and replaced with direct payments to farmers. They are encouraged to be more environmentally friendly.
The reform coincides with the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, which launches the principle of sustainable development.
- 1984
Farms become so productive that they grow more food than needed. Several measures are introduced to bring production levels closer to what the market needs.
- 1962
The common agricultural policy is born. The CAP is conceived as a common policy, with the objectives of providing affordable food for EU citizens and a fair standard of living for farmers.
