The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a key aspect of the European Union (EU) budget, providing direct support to farmers across the EU Member States and directly assisting with rural development.  

The current proposal from the European Commission for the upcoming CAP looks towards decreasing the policy’s allocation by 5%. This is a result of a decreased overall budget as a result of Brexit, as well as the need for more allocation in other areas of the budget. 

Despite the decrease, the proposal still looks towards improving support towards young farmers, in an effort to continue promoting generational renewal in the sector. The proposal also seeks more support for small and medium-sized farms, as well as a fairer distribution of payments. 

The EU budget, forming part of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), is currently being negotiated by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. Negotiations will establish the next budget to cover the period 2021-2027.