Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-000958/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Elsi Katainen (Renew)
The common agricultural policy turned a new leaf in 2023, when the new programming period began to be implemented. The new national programme for each individual Member State, created according to local conditions, represents an attempt to bring agricultural policy closer to farmers and their needs. That is the right way forward.
The European Commission, which took office in December 2024, has, as one of its main flagship projects, simplification. Reducing the administrative burden and legislative complexity and overlap must assume a key role. The same approach to simplification must also be extended to the agricultural sector and the law concerning farmers. These are particularly concrete measures to strengthen the competitiveness, profitability and market position of farmers, having regard to the European single market.
One practical notion regarding simplification is to steer EU funding in the direction of Member States under the ‘one envelope’ model. There have been clear references to the model in President von der Leyen’s guidelines, in the Communication on the multiannual financial framework and in the Commission work programme for 2025. A fixed sum would be allocated to the Member States by the EU, which would be targeted at EU programmes via the national plan, to reflect national requirements.
- 1.How does the European Commission intend to ensure that the one envelope model will strengthen the strategic position of agriculture in the spirit of the Vision for Agriculture, meanwhile continuing to preserve a stable single market in the agricultural sector, and safeguard a sufficient standard of living for producers, if the Member States can independently decide how much of the funding can be allocated to agricultural subsidies, depending on the year?
- 2.How does the European Commission intend to ensure that the legal protection of farmers and their faith in the future will not be compromised, and how can investment certainty be guaranteed when the EU budget period and national budget periods do not correspond to one another, and different governments have different priorities with EU funding?
Submitted: 6.3.2025