The Common Agricultural Policy is simplified, with fewer controls and more money for small farmers.
Brussels, November 10, 2025 – Negotiators from the European Parliament and the Council (Danish Presidency of the Council) reached a provisional agreement on Monday, November 10, to simplify the requirements of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), aiming to reduce bureaucracy for farmers, a pillar of the development of simplification policies within the EU.
The agreement introduces the "once-only" principle for inspections, a point advocated by MEPs. According to this, farmers should not be subjected to more than one official on-site check within a year.
Additionally, Parliament negotiators successfully insisted on increasing the financial support ceilings for small farmers. These will rise to an annual payment of up to 3,000 euros (compared to the Commission's proposal of 2,500 euros) and a new single payment for business development of up to 75,000 euros (increasing from the proposed 50,000 euros).
The agreement also brings increased flexibility regarding environmental requirements (GAEC). Farmers certified as organic will be automatically considered as meeting several GAEC requirements. It was also agreed that land considered arable as of January 1, 2026, can maintain this status even if it has not been plowed or cultivated, thus protecting biodiversity and relieving farmers of costs.
Rapporteur André Rodrigues (S&D, Portugal) welcomed the agreement: The European Parliament has demonstrated that it is possible to make the CAP fairer, clearer, and closer to the people who work the land (...) We listened (i.e., to farmers) and turned their concerns into real solutions.
The new rules are expected to apply to over nine million farmers in Europe starting from January 1, 2026.
The preliminary agreement now needs to be officially approved by both the Council and the plenary of the European Parliament before it can come into force.
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