Sittings · Document
OPINION (2025/0210(BUD)) 2025-09-24
On general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026 – all sections
Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development · Rapporteur: Dario Nardella
✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 4 Sept 2026
The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development's opinion on the 2026 EU budget calls for increased CAP funding, rejects merging CAP with cohesion funds, and demands more support for farmers, rural development, and crisis management.¶¶¶
Committee position. The committee proposes amendments to the 2026 budget to increase CAP funding, reject merging with cohesion funds, and enhance support for farmers, rural development, and crisis management.¶¶¶
Key points
- Welcomes the proposed allocations but stresses they should be increased to address rural challenges; insists agriculture revenues stay within Heading 3.¶
- Rejects merging CAP with cohesion funds and replacing EAGF/EAFRD with a single fund; calls for a separate, strengthened CAP budget with automatic inflation adjustment.¶
- Recalls CAP objectives from Article 39 TFEU and stresses they must guide spending and trade policy; emphasizes agriculture's strategic importance for food security and sustainability.¶
- Notes concern over the reduced EAGF margin and calls for a flexible and adequate EAGF to respond to crises.¶
- Calls for sufficient flexibility and strategic capacity in the 2026 budget to address geopolitical, climate, and trade risks, including support for Ukraine's alignment and impact assessment.¶
- Demands trade agreements respect reciprocity and safeguard clauses; calls for impact assessments and compensation for trade impacts.¶
- Urges improving the agricultural reserve's accessibility and activation, with additional funding and swift support for farmers hit by animal diseases.¶
- Calls for full use of flexibility instruments and investment in preparedness, prevention, and early-warning systems.¶
- Urges prioritising generational renewal with start-up support, access to land and finance, training, and credit guarantee schemes.¶
- Calls for differentiated measures to address regional disparities and support dignified retirement for farmers.¶
- Calls for reinstatement of promotion programmes and increased sectoral allocations for vulnerable sectors, school schemes, and rural development.¶¶¶
- Emphasises investment in water management, soil resilience, digitalisation, research, and innovation, including for POSEI and animal disease compensation.¶¶¶
Who is affected
- EU farmers, especially young farmers and those in sensitive sectors like wine and dairy, affected by trade pressures and crises.¶¶
- Rural communities and regions, including outermost regions under POSEI, affected by depopulation and infrastructure needs.¶¶¶
- Agri-food producers and exporters affected by cuts to promotion programmes and trade competition.¶¶
- Children and schools benefiting from EU school schemes for fruit, vegetables, and milk.¶
Figures and deadlines
- EUR 56,97 billion in commitment appropriations and EUR 53,13 billion in payment appropriations under Heading 3.¶
- EUR 54,79 billion for Cluster 8, an increase of 0,8 % compared to 2025.¶
- EAGF margin reduced to EUR 76 million.¶
- Agricultural reserve reinstated at EUR 450 million.¶
- EUR 13,3 billion allocated to EAFRD.¶
- Increase of EUR 34 662 944 in the budget line for 'Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment'.¶
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