December digest: news for CAP Strategic Plan stakeholders

EU support for rural Europe was in the headlines in December, including a spotlight on best practice use of funds from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to provide robust benefits. Our EU CAP Network workshop on Durability of Investments focused attention on this important topic by sharing European expertise about how investments aiming to diversify the rural economy and improve rural infrastructure can deliver durable benefits (commonly defined as lasting at least five years). Experiences were exchanged at the workshop on how to better target CAP spending at viable projects and mitigate risks of funding assets for personal use. Outcomes aim to help with assessing the continued operation of project funding from CAP Strategic Plans (CSPs) in the coming years.

EU CAP Network colleagues attend a number of events and meetings related to our work in order to learn from our stakeholders and integrate wider experiences into our networking activities. Events attended recently included one by the European Parliamentarian, Beyond Growth Conference. Forward-looking EU perspectives and related considerations for national CSPs were underlined at this event as part of the ongoing dialogue vis-à-vis a 'Blueprint for a Social and Green Deal'. This conference contemplated the next European elections and subsequent European Commission work programme. MEP messages with CSP relevance promoted more rights-based approaches and articulated advantages from better systemic blending of social goals within environmental policies.

Complementary funding plans for such a transition were deemed necessary by the MEPs. Related to this is a timely new discussion paper published by the European food industry which shows how soil health can be used as a common and simple EU metric for forecasting the costs of Funding the EU transition to more sustainable agriculture. The paper provides industry opinion on enabling factors for soil-led transition pathways observing roles played by future CAP reform, consumers, food labelling, the true cost of food, and worker welfare rights. In addition, it notes the possibilities for private finance to support such pathways (e.g. including via credit instruments that can be de-risked by CSP funding).

Soil’s fundamental role in sustaining Europe’s agri-food sector was further reinforced last month during the 2023 EU Agricultural Outlook Conference: Sowing the Future of EU Agriculture. Our delegate at this keynote annual event for DG AGRI's noted a range of topical points about sustainability, market trends, food security, and digital innovation.

Farmers need to remain central to a successful agri-food outlook and the well-being of agricultural workers in EU countries was the subject of another event where the Contact Point participated in December. This final Conference of the Farmwell Horizon Project provided useful insights about enhancing farmers' mental, physical, and social well-being through social innovation. It will also inform our upcoming new Thematic Group on mental health for farmers and farming communities.

Two other December events that we took part in related to the EU CAP Network's remit for helping to strengthen rural Europe’s social fabric included: a Rural Pact conference exploring how EU funds can pave the way to the rural vision; and the Diesis network connecting rural actors interested in subjects such as socially responsible food production, gender equality, and rural heritage.