MEPs are today voting on the shape of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the next seven years. The proposals are intended to continue providing support to EU farmers in order to guarantee food security while also making the CAP more flexible and adaptable to emerging sustainability challenges.

Providing Member States with more flexibility over how they allocate funding is central to the proposals, which will allow national authorities to design policies that respond specifically to local concerns. Direct payments to farmers will continue, providing them with the certainty and stability they need to produce food.

Speaking ahead of the votes, ECR Agriculture spokesman Jim Nicholson said:

“Europe needs its farmers who provide for our food security. We’ve tried to allow countries the opportunity to tailor policies specifically to local needs and challenges as well as trying to put farmers at the forefront of designing these schemes so that they work for them. As technology is increasingly playing a role in farming and we need to ensure we can take account of the new opportunities that innovation brings, particularly in terms of sustainability.”

There are also new clauses to help farmers to take better account of biodiversity and natural resource challenges, with payments conditional on enhanced environmental protection.

Nicholson concluded:

“Farmers care passionately about the environment and the extra sustainability incentives will help them to deliver our biodiversity goals.”