What are the European Commission proposals to simplify the Common Agricultural Policy?
On 14 May 2025, the European Commission presented its proposals to simplify the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) which can be summarized as follows:
Small farmers will be exempted from certain environment rules and the annual lump-sum payment limit for small farmers will be increased from €1,250 to €2,500;
A better accommodation of diverse farming practices and local conditions in addition to reducing overlap with existing national rules and administrative burden of controls with the principle of “only one on-the-spot-check per year per farm”;
New crisis payments available under CAP Strategic Plans to support EU farmers affected by natural disasters or animal diseases;
A new simple funding option offering up to €50,000 as a lump-sum to help small farmers improve the competitiveness of their farms and the development of interoperable digital systems with the principle of “report once, use multiple times”.
This legislative proposal will now be submitted to the European Parliament and the Council while the Commission will continue to propose further simplification measures later this year.
