The following comments were submitted by IATP Europe to the European Commission (EC) in April 2025 in response to two surveys on implementing EU funding with Member States and regions and the performance of the EU budget.
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) Europe welcomes the opportunity to submit comments on the next EU long-term budget.
Our food system is facing several challenges. Farmers often struggle to be paid fairly for their work, in a system rife with unfair trading practices. Consumers may struggle to access and afford healthy, sustainably produced food. All the while, society grapples with the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, to which the current food system—often reliant on intensive industrialized farming practices—is both a contributor and victim.
The post-2027 budget period covers a key period during which society needs to transition to a sustainable, resilient and more agroecological food system, and can help support and accelerate that transition.
Five elements are critical here:
Spend wisely and coherently to support farmers as they help society fight climate change and make their farms more resilient to its devastating impacts.
The public’s money should support activities that benefit society—while always true, the salience of this objective only grows as pressure on the public purse mounts.
The EU’s approach to livestock production through its Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is inconsistent with its climate objectives and runs counter to the long-term viability of farming in some regions (ESABCC, EUCRA). More than 80% of the public’s money goes towards supporting livestock production (Kortleve et al. 2024), which is not only one of the most emissions-intensive agricultural practices, but also the cause of harmful local air and water pollution. While there is a role for livestock in Europe, especially in mixed farms with smaller grazing herds, this role needs to be defined, a clearly timed transition plan developed, in a participatory way, with public support provided to help finance that transition.
To continue reading, please download a PDF of the full comments here.
