The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) continues to be a major driver of land use and management decisions. The integration of environmental objectives and measures into the CAP has been a long and incremental process.
IEEP has been closely involved in seeking to improve the environmental focus of the CAP over successive reforms since the 1980s. We provide informed analysis and innovative thinking to stimulate debates, building on our in-depth understanding of this policy area.
Our work seeks to provide the evidence base for refocussing the CAP towards environmental objectives. We seek to enhance the way in which the CAP supports the provision of environmental goods and services through influencing the management of agricultural and forest land. Our work in this area focuses on:
- Innovative thinking to inform future policy design
- Advice and guidance on mainstreaming environmental and climate issues within the CAP
- Developing suitable monitoring and evaluation frameworks, including the design of indicators
- Evaluating the environmental impacts of the CAP implementation choices made by Member States
We have pan-European experience and detailed knowledge of the intricacies of both Pillars of the CAP and the different funding opportunities available in both. In particular, our expertise covers cross-compliance, green direct payments, support within Areas of Natural Constraint, and rural development measures that can be used for environmental purposes, especially the agri-environment-climate measure. IEEP played an important role in providing evidence to inform the discussions on reforming the CAP post 2014. We have contributed to the provision of guidance on mainstreaming climate and biodiversity priorities within the CAP and on tracking climate and biodiversity expenditure under both Pillar 1 and within rural development programmes.
Highlights
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the key funding tool to address sustainability challenges in the agriculture sector. This IEEP report sets out the main environmental needs in France relating to agriculture, to inform the decision-making process on how CAP funds will be spent.
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the key funding tool to address sustainability challenges in the agriculture sector. This IEEP report sets out the main environmental needs in Germany relating to agriculture, to inform the decision-making process on how CAP funds will be spent.
As a key part of the Green Deal published in May 2020, the European Commission introduced the Farm to Fork strategy which looks at accelerating the transition towards a fair, sustainable and healthy food system. The strategy includes targets for a European food system with a reduced footprint until 2030, addressing the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.
On Monday, EU farm ministers approved the provisional deal reached with the European Parliament on the new CAP reform. The following assessment looks at the six fundamental issues identified by IEEP as essential for keeping the green ambition of the future CAP alive.
In creating a sustainable and healthy food system, reducing the pressure on the environment is key. As a non-chemical and targeted input, biocontrol can offer a systemic and balanced solution for sustainable agriculture. This new report explores the benefits of biocontrol and the role it could play in the implementation of the European Green Deal.
The March super trilogue is a decisive moment for the future of the EU’s farming policy. IEEP's agriculture researchers have put forward recommendations for ensuring that the next CAP policy is fit to support an ambitious implementation of the European Green Deal.
A new set of three papers from IEEP explores the rational and policy aspects of rural land use transformation in the EU.
This policy brief examines the way that soil is incorporated into the EU climate policy architecture and gives recommendations for enhancing its position in that architecture.
A preliminary assessment by IEEP shows that EU Agriculture Ministers and the European Parliament have failed to address six essential areas for keeping the green ambition of the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) alive.
This briefing paper provides an overview of the current technical and scientific knowledge and additional research needs for the achievement of pesticides and fertiliser reduction objectives under the Green Deal.
The environmental and climate ambition of the future CAP is increasingly under threat as the European Parliament and AGRIFISH Council finalise their positions on the legal texts.
This paper examines the role that the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy can play in the transformation towards more sustainable and resilient agri-food systems in the EU
The European Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development. commissioned IEEP (through the Alliance Environment consortium) to undertake a formal evaluation of the CAP’s impact on habitats, landscapes and biodiversity.
The CAP is one of the instruments with the highest potential in influencing farming practices and their climate delivery – but is the EU keeping good and accurate track of climate delivery within it?
New report ‘Using Eco-schemes in the new CAP’ provides guidance and inspiration for EU and national policymakers and managing authorities on how eco-schemes could be designed and implemented to drive the transition towards more sustainable farming systems in Europe.
This year's World Soil Day highlights again the urgency for European and global policymakers to act on soil erosion as a key environmental and sustainability challenge.
This briefing paper seeks to inform EU, national and regional policymakers about how the latest Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform could deliver much-needed improvements in environmental and climate action.
IEEP has conducted an analysis of the proposals made by both committees in terms of their environment and climate performance. The main findings are outlined below.
Today we celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity aiming at increasing understanding of the diversity of life on the planet and awareness of its importance for human development. IEEP takes the opportunity to share some key positive lessons from recent EU biodiversity action and identify key remaining challenges towards 2030.
The status quo is no longer an option. The CAP must deliver greater ambition for the environment and climate or we risk undermining the long-term viability of our agricultural and forest systems.
