The new CAP: fairer, greener, and more flexible
D2.1 Stakeholder list, personas, and co-designed scenarios
July 27, 2021
D4.2: Inventory of historical and open EO data and techniques to be used
August 3, 2021
DIONE continues to inform its EO community about game-changing activities related to EU environment policies by providing overview of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)!
The CAP is one of the EU’s oldest and most important policies. It has been designed as a policy to ‘support European farmers and ensure Europe’s food security’. The CAP has specifically contributed to the environmental protection, sustainability, and biodiversity by introducing the concept of “greening”. This major innovation aims to reduce several agricultural practices (e.g., overgrazing) and ensure a balanced use of land, all of which paying agencies – main DIONE stakeholders – are closely monitoring when distributing green payments.
The provisional political agreement reached on 25th June 2021 by the European Parliament and Council on the new Common Agricultural Policy introduces a fairer, greener, more animal friendly and flexible CAP. Higher environmental and climate ambitions, aligned with Green Deal objectives, are to be implemented from January 2023.
To specify it further, a fairer CAP will include social conditionality, meaning that CAP beneficiaries will have to respect elements of European social and labour law to receive CAP funds. New additions are also mandatory redistribution of income support (at least 10% to the benefit of smaller farms) and support for young farmers with minimum level of 3% of Member States' budgets for CAP income support.
On the other hand, the greener CAP will enable consistency with the European Green Deal via implementation through the National Strategic Plans in line with the Green Deal and its Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies. It also introduces new, more ambitious tools such as conditionality (the minimum requirements CAP beneficiaries have to comply with to receive support) and EcoShemes (rewards for farmers for implementing climate and environmentally friendly practices) that will enable a more efficient and better-targeted environmental, climate and animal welfare performance.
Last, but not least, the more flexible CAP means simpler rules at EU level and a new way of working, where each Member State will draft a national CAP strategic plan describing how the CAP objectives as well as and Green Deal objectives as described in the Farm to Fork, and Biodiversity Strategies will be achieved.
The provisional political agreement reached on 25th June 2021 by the European Parliament and Council on the new Common Agricultural Policy introduces a fairer, greener, more animal friendly and flexible CAP. Higher environmental and climate ambitions, aligned with Green Deal objectives, are to be implemented from January 2023.
To specify it further, a fairer CAP will include social conditionality, meaning that CAP beneficiaries will have to respect elements of European social and labour law to receive CAP funds. New additions are also mandatory redistribution of income support (at least 10% to the benefit of smaller farms) and support for young farmers with minimum level of 3% of Member States' budgets for CAP income support.
On the other hand, the greener CAP will enable consistency with the European Green Deal via implementation through the National Strategic Plans in line with the Green Deal and its Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies. It also introduces new, more ambitious tools such as conditionality (the minimum requirements CAP beneficiaries have to comply with to receive support) and EcoShemes (rewards for farmers for implementing climate and environmentally friendly practices) that will enable a more efficient and better-targeted environmental, climate and animal welfare performance.
Last, but not least, the more flexible CAP means simpler rules at EU level and a new way of working, where each Member State will draft a national CAP strategic plan describing how the CAP objectives as well as and Green Deal objectives as described in the Farm to Fork, and Biodiversity Strategies will be achieved.
What does it mean for DIONE?
For DIONE supporters, the most important attribute of the CAP is that it puts at the forefront modern technologies to be used when carrying out checks for area-based CAP payments. This means an untapped potential to the EO-based market such as for DIONE products. Therefore, expect to see more of DIONE in the near future!
Check out the Political Agreement in detail by clicking here
Check out the Political Agreement in detail by clicking here
