EU Commission Proposes 2028-2034 CAP Overhaul via National Partnership Plans
The EU Commission proposes replacing the CAP two-pillar model with National and Regional Partnership Plans for 2028-2034, amid concerns for small farm viability.
Proposed Transition from Two-Pillar CAP to National and Regional Partnership Plans
The European Commission has put forward a structural overhaul for the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) spanning the 2028–2034 programming period. Under the reform proposal, the European Union's traditional agricultural funding framework—historically anchored by a two-pillar model comprising direct payments under Pillar 1 and rural development measures under Pillar 2—would be replaced by integrated National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs).
This policy framework alters how European agricultural support is structured and delivered. By moving away from the longstanding dual-pillar architecture, the Commission seeks to transition Member States toward consolidated partnership plans designed to coordinate agricultural interventions alongside broader regional strategies.
Consolidation of Shared-Management Instruments into a Single EU Fund
A central objective of the Commission's 2028–2034 proposal is the simplification of policy delivery and the introduction of greater administrative flexibility. Under the envisioned blueprint, CAP funding streams would be combined with other shared-management instruments into a single overarching EU fund.
By integrating previously separate funding mechanisms into an overarching instrument, the restructuring seeks to streamline programmatic execution across EU administrative bodies and national governments. The move reflects an effort to unify European funding streams under coordinated investment umbrellas, reshaping how financial resources for agriculture are managed at both national and regional levels.
Parliament-Commissioned Study Warns of Structural Risks for Smaller Holdings
The proposed structural shifts have raised debate within European legislative circles regarding their direct economic consequences for agricultural producers. A research study released on November 5, 2026, conducted by University College Cork and commissioned by the European Parliament, analyzed the implications of moving away from the two-pillar structure toward NRPPs.
The findings conclude that the proposed reforms could threaten the viability of smaller agricultural holdings across the European Union. According to the research, the structural modifications to the CAP architecture increase the risk of farm exits, prompting legislative scrutiny over how agricultural funding and farm safeguards will be sustained in the upcoming 2028–2034 budgetary cycle.
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