EU Auditors back farmers’ warnings on post-2027 farm policy

Europe’s farmers have long warned that a sweeping overhaul of the European Union’s flagship farm programme could weaken the bloc’s agricultural backbone. Now, the European Union’s own fiscal watchdog appears to lend weight to some of their concerns.

In a recent assessment, the European Court of Auditors drew attention to shortcomings in the current Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), particularly in how Member States’ national plans align with the European Green Deal’s climate and environmental goals. 

The auditors found that although national agricultural programmes for the 2023–27 period were “greener” than before, they still do not fully match the EU’s stated environmental ambitions, and that key performance indicators are missing or inconsistent across countries, making it difficult to assess real outcomes. 

The Court’s opinion, while not directly about budget numbers or structural reform, comes amid intense debate over the CAP’s future funding and design under the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework.

Auditors’ critique strengthens farmers’ case

“This confirms what farmers have been saying for years,” said Cristiano Fini, national president of Cia–Italian Farmers, framing the auditor’s report as validation of broader industry fears. 

Fini and other farm lobbying groups argue that proposals floated in Brussels to fold agriculture into broader funding structures or increase flexibility for member states could erode the CAP’s common, EU-wide character.

Farmers have taken to the streets in capitals including Brussels to oppose ideas circulated by the Commission that would merge elements of the CAP with cohesion or other structural funds in a so-called “single fund,” arguing it could dilute dedicated agricultural spending and risk renationalisation of agricultural support. 

The Commission, for its part, has framed the post-2027 reform as a bid to simplify the budget and give member states more flexibility to tailor spending to national needs, while maintaining income support and the core mission of the CAP. Its official proposal for the 2028–34 CAP, presented in July 2025 alongside the draft long-term EU budget, envisages a framework that retains income support and crisis tools while integrating agricultural spending into broader strategic plans with other sectors. 

But the reforms have alarmed both farming unions and some MEPs, including in the European Parliament’s agriculture committee, who have resisted any absorption of the CAP into a merged funding envelope and have pushed to protect a standalone CAP budget line.

Critics warn that increased flexibility could lead to a “race to the bottom” in environmental and labour standards if member states prioritise short-term gains over long-term sustainability. 

Environmental groups have also seized on the ECA’s findings to argue for stronger, more measurable climate goals within the CAP framework.

Negotiations on the next CAP and EU budget are now entering a decisive phase, with the European Parliament and Member States set to weigh in on amendments and allocations through 2026. 

For farm lobbies, the coming months will be crucial to ensuring that Brussels does not abandon one of the EU’s most politically and economically sensitive policies