Post-2027 reforms of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) have sparked fears of hurting farmers in rural regions.
Local, regional, national and EU leaders met in Brussels on 3 March to discuss the future of the Common Agricultural Policy and rural development after 2027, the European Committee of the Regions said in a statement on Tuesday.
The high-level dialogue, hosted by Piotr Całbecki — chair of the European Committee of the Regions’ Commission for Natural Resources — focused on a European Commission proposal published in July 2025 to integrate the CAP into National and Regional Partnership Plans under the EU’s 2028–2034 long-term budget.
Participants discussed what they described as risks of “renationalising” the CAP — shifting more control to national level — including the potential for uneven rules and support across member states that could affect competition.
Ahead of negotiations between the European Parliament, the EU’s member states and the Commission, attendees raised concerns that the proposed post-2027 approach could weaken the CAP’s regional dimension, reduce predictability of funding and limit how far local and regional authorities can tailor measures to local needs.
They called for stronger involvement of local and regional authorities, clearer governance, and safeguards to ensure environmental and social objectives are met, alongside measures on farm incomes including stronger market regulation and targeted support.
Całbecki said that without coordinated support and “strong market regulation”, many farms — particularly small and medium-sized ones — would disappear.
Rural development and funding after 2027
Rural areas were described during the discussion as facing structural challenges including depopulation, unequal access to services, limited economic opportunities and low visibility in policy design, according to the European Committee of the Regions.
Participants said rural development measures should be sufficiently funded under the EU’s 2028–2034 budget and implemented through locally based, community-led approaches.
Poland’s agriculture minister, Jacek Krajewski, said the CAP should maintain stable funding not only for agriculture but also for rural development, and argued that the current two-pillar structure — one focused on farm payments and one on rural development — has shown “high effectiveness”.
Alessio Mammi, a regional minister in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna and rapporteur on the Common Market Organisation — EU rules governing agricultural markets — raised concerns about a proposed minimum 30% national co-financing requirement for certain aid that has previously been fully financed by the EU, warning it could create disparities in support among member states and affect competitiveness between producer organisations.
Radim Sršeň, mayor of Dolní Studénky in the Czech Republic and rapporteur on the future of rural development, said rural development needed a “place-based” approach backed by sufficient resources.
