EU Agriculture Ministers Push for Greater Control Over Farm Subsidies

The deal defines the negotiating stance for the bloc’s Common Agricultural Policy within the upcoming seven-year financial framework. While the Irish EU council presidency’s proposal shielded core agricultural subsidies from a €141 billion cut, it suggested a three-percent reduction—totaling €24.6 billion—to the National and Regional Partnership Plans. These plans were originally intended to unify funding streams for agriculture and fisheries into a streamlined, single-fund model.

Under the new framework, each member state will craft a comprehensive roadmap detailing its intended investments and reforms. Crucially, ministers insisted that recommendations provided by the European Commission regarding these support programs remain non-binding, granting individual nations the final say. The revised system intends to prioritize funding for small-scale operations, young entrants, and so-called active farmers who meet specific minimum activity thresholds.