CAP 2.0, the EU gives the green light to simplification: more funds for small farmers and environmental standards at risk

Brussels gave a big yes. With a vote that did not find significant opposition (629 in favor, 17 against and 16 abstentions), the European Parliament confirmed the preliminary agreement on the second revision of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). A package that promises to lighten administrative burdens for farmers, with savings estimated by the EU Commission of up to 1.58 billion euros per year.

The agreement, reached provisionally with the Council on 10 November 2025, is the response to requests for greater flexibility and support from the agricultural world. The aim is to make payments, environmental requirements and crisis management tools simpler and less burdensome to administer. Yet, the strong emphasis on simplification inevitably shifts the debate on the balance between productivity and environmental protection.

The most far-reaching changes aim to strengthen support for small-scale farms. The discussion between the co-legislators led to an increase in the ceilings proposed by the Commission chaired by Ursula von der Leyen, effectively emerging “defeated from the comparison” on the financial dimension of the aid:

These increases aim to provide small farmers, who need clear rules and “payments they can count on”, as stated by rapporteur André Rodrigues (S&D, Portugal), a more solid financial basis for developing their business.

BCAAs under the lens: the plowing knot

The real political crux, and the element that introduces greater flexibility, concerns “good agronomic and environmental conditions” (BCAA). The new rules free farmers from the burden of plowing their fields every year. Land classified as arable on 1 January 2026 will retain this classification even if it has not been plowed, worked or reseeded.

Officially, the rule was introduced to “preserve biodiversity”, but the interpretation is not univocal: in reality, as underlined, it is configured as a “pretext to save farmers the expensive process of working the fields”. This regulatory pruning was defended by Rodrigues with the assurance that it is possible to have “simpler rules and better support, without weakening environmental and social protections”.

Another simplification concerns organic farmers: they will automatically be considered compliant with the BCAA requirements for their companies already certified or in the conversion phase. This is an exemption which reduces bureaucratic burden and additional controls, unless Member States decide to limit it in case of a high administrative burden.

The “once only” principle

The simplification is also extended to the inspection system. The agreement establishes that flexibility rhymes with fewer controls, introducing the “once only” principle. Farmers should not be subjected to more than one official on-site control in the same year.

The regulation now awaits formal confirmation by the Council and entry into force, scheduled for the day following its publication in the Official Journal. The Mini-CAP promises to ease the burden on the primary sector, but its long-term impact on soil health and biodiversity will tip the balance of its real effectiveness.