Overview of CAP Reform 2014-2020

The CAP 2014-2020 has been reformed by strengthening its greening aspects. Climate mitigation and adaptation are explicitly among the key objectives of the CAP, which accounts for about 30% of the overall EU budget/ MFF 2014-2020. The greening measures in the CAP 2014-2020 particularly increase the carbon sink by encouraging more grassland, the protection of forest cover and address the challenges of soil quality. It makes direct payments to farmers conditional upon compliance with greening measures, which account for 30% of the overall direct payments (pillar I). These measures include crop diversification, conserving 5% (and later 7%) of areas of ecological interest and maintaining permanent grassland. 30% of the budget within the rural development programmes (pillar II) is to be dedicated to agri-environmental measures, projects related to environmentally friendly investment or innovation measures as well as to support for organic farming. It further improves agri-environmental measures via higher environmental protection targets.On November 23, 2021, the EU Parliament agreed on a broad reform of the PAC, that needs to be approved by the Council. The new framework will enter into force on January 1, 2023.