Eco-schemes Thematic Group first meeting

Our recent launch meeting of the EU CAP Network Thematic Group (TG) on the Design and Implementation of Eco-schemes in the new CAP Strategic Plans brought together expertise on this new intervention from around the EU countries.

Member States have taken different approaches to implementing the CAP’s new eco-schemes and this TG involves sharing experiences to date from around rural Europe with the different ways they have designed their schemes, the environmental objectives that have been prioritised, as well as the relative merits of the approaches taken. This includes exploring issues relating to implementation, particularly how eco-schemes have been promoted and how farmers have reacted to their introduction. Goals for the TG include identifying success stories as well as challenges, common issues faced, and how to overcome these.

TG members’ first meeting on 25 October proved productive in its exchanges on design and implementation of eco-schemes as well as their interaction with other parts of the CAP’s Green Architecture. Member State perspectives were shared from the first year of implementing eco-schemes and covered what is working well in different circumstances, some of the challenges surrounding uptake, and plans for how eco-schemes might evolve over the coming years to improve their uptake and effectiveness.

See the TG event page for presentations from the meeting, made by Member States and the European Commission, in addition to a background paper reviewing the context for the roll-out of this key policy novelty in the new CAP period.