Members of the European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development support the proposal to make written contracts for agricultural goods mandatory. However, they clearly deviate from the Commission's draft on another point.
By Julia Dahm
Agricultural support in the EU plays a crucial role in supporting agriculture, ensuring security of supply and promoting sustainable practices. Read all about agricultural policy in the EU and Germany, its objectives, challenges and measures to support farmers from the Table.Briefings editorial team. EU agricultural support: The Common Agricultural Policy The EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the central instrument for agricultural support in EU agriculture. It was created to ensure food security, develop rural areas, protect the environment and strengthen the competitiveness of farmers. The CAP represents the largest part of the EU budget and is regularly reformed to meet changing challenges and objectives. Agricultural support in the EU and Germany Agricultural support in the EU comprises various measures aimed at securing farmers' incomes and improving production conditions. In Germany, EU funding for agriculture is supplemented and administered by national programs. Issues such as the expansion of organic farming, the promotion of young farmers and the strengthening of regional marketing are playing an increasingly important role. The federal states have scope to supplement the EU directives with national priorities in order to meet the specific needs of German agriculture. Current challenges and debates on agricultural funding in the EU Agricultural funding in the EU: digitalization and innovation Digitalization represents a decisive turning point in EU agricultural funding and is becoming increasingly important. New technologies offer immense opportunities to significantly increase the efficiency, sustainability and resilience of agricultural production. In this context, the EU is specifically supporting funding programs aimed at driving digital innovation and research in agriculture. This trend is also reflected in Germany. The German government is actively supporting the digitalization of agriculture through targeted funding programmes and the provision of infrastructure that enables the use of state-of-the-art technologies. Overall, digitalization is an indispensable component of future agricultural funding both at EU level and in Germany. It offers the opportunity to increase productivity, reduce environmental impact and strengthen the competitiveness of European agriculture on a global level. Through continuous investment and an integrative approach, agricultural policy can successfully drive the transformation towards sustainable and digitally supported agriculture. Agricultural support in the EU: future prospects The future development of agricultural support in the EU and Germany will be largely shaped by progress in the areas of environmental and climate protection as well as technological innovations. The CAP reform 2023-2027 represents an important step towards more sustainable agriculture by increasing incentives for environmental measures and strengthening the resilience of farms to climate risks. In Germany, the implementation of these goals is complemented by national programs that specifically address the needs of German agriculture. Dialogue between the federal government, farmers, consumers and environmentalists will be crucial in order to shape a balanced agricultural policy that takes into account economic interests as well as environmental protection and social expectations. Agricultural support in the EU and Germany faces major challenges, but also significant opportunities. Its aim is to support agriculture in becoming more sustainable, competitive and resilient. The future political balance sheet will show the extent to which the objectives are achieved. It remains to be seen whether it will be possible to reconcile economic, ecological and social interests. Read all the news on agricultural funding in the EU and current developments from the Table.Briefings editorial team.
