Spain joined the countries of the then European Economic Community in 1986 and, since then, there have been profound changes that have affected the agricultural sector… and that continue four decades later. Now the deadline for submitting PAC (Common Agrarian Policy) Aid Applications for the 2026 Campaign is approaching and we are in the midst of negotiating the next PAC 2028-2034 period, which will set the course of the rural sector in the coming years. And it is already known that there will be important structural changes.
Among these modifications, a significant reduction in the budget is expected (other sectors such as Defense take on more importance) and the disappearance of “rights”, which allow farmers to receive direct financial aid depending on the hectares of crops. The definition of Active Farmer could also vary and the current basic income aid could be replaced by payments based on the needs of each farm, setting a national average payment between 130 and 140 euros per hectare. And there is talk of ‘capping’, which is the limitation of payments for large farms.
All of this is what is now being debated in Europe and is causing widespread rejection by the sector. Furthermore, it is likely that states will have to co-finance the CAP due to the disappearance of those two pillars – budget and “rights” – that until now have supported European agricultural policy and which endangers the continuity of agri-environmental aid, very important for rural development.
The objectives of the CAP have evolved over the years, with measures such as remuneration for farmers who respect the environment, intervention in markets or promotion of rural development measures. Therefore, thanks to this aid, the agricultural sector, along with others such as research, education, exports, infrastructure, transportation… has been one of those that has experienced the most profound transformations in these 40 years. These European funds have been promoting the modernization of farms, modernization, food safety, sustainability, digitalization… In short, professionalization. Thanks to this, Spain has managed to position itself at the top of world markets.
This evolution of the CAP has responded to changing economic circumstances and citizens’ demands. And it has undergone reforms over the years, such as the Single Payment Regime (2006); the Basic Payment Regime; the appearance of “Rights”; regionalization (2015)… Together with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which demonstrated the value of the sector as one of the main supports of the population, all these milestones have marked the evolution of this European aid, and join those of the current CAP 2023-2027 period, with the development of the National Strategic Plans; the premiere of the Ecoregimes; the Digital Exploitation Notebook; Subscriber Plans….
Furthermore, the CAP has incorporated demands, especially of an environmental nature, on farmers and ranchers, with regulations to be met and a lot of bureaucracy. These environmental requirements have been reinforcing Conditionality, that mandatory baseline to access European aid, also including social aspects that guarantee good working conditions in the sector.
In short, this anniversary places us in a moment for reflection on what remains to come. The countryside needs to defend its interests and for Europe to listen to it.
Beatriz Mirón, professor at the School of Agricultural Engineering of the Comillas Pontifical University (Comillas INEA)