Renew Europe welcomes the trilogue agreement to simplify requirements under the EU Common Agricultural Policy. The new measures will give farmers more autonomy in managing their land, help reduce production costs and lower the administrative burden. Small farmers will see an increase in the flat-rate annual payment from €2,500 to €3,000, while the ceiling for small business development support will rise from €50,000 to €75,000. Renew Europe also contributed to securing more flexible rules on grassland management, giving farmers greater practical control and reducing unnecessary paperwork. These measures follow the priorities set out in Renew Europe’s position paper on the future of agriculture from July.
"Simplification must not remain only in government offices, it must reach the farms where it is truly needed. With this package, we show that deregulation and environmental protection are not contradictory, but can work together"
Christine SingerRenew Europe MEP, Germany, Freie Wähler
A key achievement in the agreement is the revised definition of permanent grassland. “With the new option for a cut-off date for the definition of permanent grassland, we are eliminating impractical regulation and creating a genuine win-win situation for agriculture and the environment: farmers who no longer have to plough their land every few years just to comply with EU rules will retain valuable grassland and sequester CO₂ in the soil,” MEP Singer explained. This gives farmers more freedom to manage their fields based on local conditions and avoids unnecessary costs, while also helping to maintain healthier grasslands that store carbon and support biodiversity.
Renew Europe also ensured more flexibility in applying soil erosion rules. Member States will be able to grant exemptions in cases of pest or disease pressure, allowing farmers to leave land fallow to break pest cycles and reduce the need for pesticides.
“With the targeted exemption option for soil erosion obligations, we ensure that farmers can be allowed to cultivate their soil in cases of severe pest or disease infestation to protect their crops. This reduces the need for chemical plant protection and encourages more common sense and sustainability in farming practice,” summarised Christine Singer after the negotiations.
Additional support may also be provided for farmers managing wetlands, peatlands and permanent grasslands in Natura 2000 areas. Organic farmers will also now be exempted from some conditionality obligations with which they comply anyway, due to the nature of their production, therefore avoiding double control.