A new report has been published on best practices for the design of agri-environmental and climate actions (AECAs) in the view of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post-2027.

This European Commission report is intended to support member states in preparing their future CAP plans by "providing concrete recommendations, practical steps and examples on how to design measures that are effective, workable and attractive for farmers".

The report builds on the assessment of the current CAP Strategic Plans (2023-2027). 

It identifies what has worked in practice, highlights good examples from member states, and sets out around 20 practical steps to support the design of "more effective agri-environmental and climate actions" in the next programming period.

According to the report, results from the current CAP "underline the importance of area-based" agri-environmental / climate support.

Spending

In the EU budget year 2025, around 28% of total public funding under CAP Strategic Plans was allocated to eco-schemes and agri-environmental and climate commitments (AECCs).

In terms of coverage, eco-schemes applied to more than 60% of EU agricultural area (98.3 million hectares) and AECCs covered 12% of farmland (19.6 million hectares).

Other estimates show similarly high uptake, with eco-schemes and AECCs covering a majority of EU farmland.

"This is a significant outcome that confirms that EU agriculture already plays a significant role in environmental protection and climate action," the commission.

It also shows that "many farmers are willing to engage in more sustainable practices and systems provided they are rewarded for the efforts made and the risks taken".

'Central priority'

Looking ahead, environmental sustainability remains a "central priority" in the CAP after 2027, with 43% of EU expenditure proposed under the future National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPs) expected to contribute to environmental and climate objectives.

To support this ambition, the commission said the future CAP "introduces a simpler framework" for environmental and climate action: AECAs as a single instrument, which will merge the current eco-schemes and AECCs.

This is intended to "simplify the policy framework and improve the effectiveness of support".

The new approach also includes:

A farm stewardship system, combining protective practices and statutory management requirements;
Support for green investments, both productive and non-productive, to improve resource efficiency and farm competitiveness;
Complementary tools such as advisory services, innovation, digitalisation and cooperation projects to support the transition.

From compensation to incentives

AECAs will reward farmers for "adopting environmentally beneficial practices, moving beyond the previous model", the commission said.

The commission report draws on current implementation of CAP Strategic Plans as well as the work carried out by the EU CAP network on green architecture, and relevant literature and research on environmental mainstreaming under the CAP.

As a result it identifies six factors that are "key to making future AECAs more effective":

Clear and well-designed practices, combined with adequate incentive payments;
Strong farmer uptake and consistency between interventions;
Targeting measures to regional, environmental and farm-level needs;
Result-based approaches rewarding measurable outcomes;
Collective approaches enabling action at landscape level;
Robust monitoring and control systems ensuring credibility and reliability.

By building on what has "proven effective and how it can be applied in practice", the report supports the development of agri-environmental-climate measures that "deliver greater environmental results while remaining accessible and attractive to farmers".

The report noted that the availability of CAP budget and the governance of the NRP plans will "determine how much fundingthere will be for AECAs in the forthcoming programming period 2028-2034".

"The amount of funding will in turn affect the type of measures chosen by member states and the balance between the two alternative land-use strategies of ‘land sparing’ and ‘land sharing’.

"The amount of funding will also affect the broader balance between food production on the one hand, and environment and biodiversity protection by more environmentally-friendly practices and systems on the other."