The EU CAP Network website: what’s in it for you?

The EU CAP Network’s actions are implemented by four support units. The CAP Implementation Contact Point, the Innovation & knowledge exchange | EIP-AGRI unit, the European Evaluation Helpdesk for the CAP; these three produce a lot of interesting content related to the CAP and intended to serve the largest possible community of CAP stakeholders. The fourth unit supports all the communications and logistics tasks for the whole Network.

The EU CAP Network website is available in the 24 official languages of the EU. The French and German versions can be accessed from the top menu, while all other language versions are available through machine translation by clicking on a button at the bottom of each page.

Most of the content on the EU CAP Network website is conceived to be relevant to all types of CAP stakeholders. This includes, for example, publications, news items, and events. All these types of content can be filtered by standard criteria (thematic focus, topic, year etc.), as well as through a manual search by keyword. Trending topics are spotlighted on a dedicated page that gives access to all the types of content related to each theme.

Good practices in CAP implementation and innovation can also inspire different stakeholders, from potential beneficiaries to Managing Authorities and National Networks. Celebrations like the ARIA – Agricultural and Rural Inspiration Awards invite a wide audience (even beyond CAP stakeholders) to discover and celebrate exceptionally inspiring projects.

But what if you need to focus your search and use the EU CAP Network website very efficiently? Here are a few tips to help you make the most out of your visit, based on your professional profile.

Managing Authorities implementing the CAP across EU Member States can use Country data to learn how the CAP is implemented in other countries, read the CAP Strategic Plans (CSP) Factsheets for each country CSP, find contact details which will help stakeholders with their networking activities, and other useful information. Good practices in CAP implementation, across all CAP Specific Objectives, can be inspiring, and upcoming events - by the EU CAP Network and by stakeholders - provide useful opportunities for networking and knowledge sharing.

National Networks can find relevant information in particular in the Publications section, which gathers all the publications produced by the EU CAP Network - including a yearly magazine, brochures highlighting thematic examples, and articles focused on trends and policy developments. Information about previous and upcoming NN meetings complements the opportunities for networking and peer learning. The EU CAP Network’s Annual Work Programme is another useful resource to align the NNs’ work with the EU CAP Network’s priority focus each year.

LAGs (Local Action Groups) can find a lot of relevant information about LEADER in the LEADER section designed for this purpose.

To support the Member States in planning, managing, and conducting the evaluation of LEADER at the CSP and local levels, the EU CAP Network, supported by the European Evaluation Helpdesk for the CAP, has developed non-binding guidelines for the evaluation of LEADER added value.

LAGs can also explore Good practices using the LEADER Measure for inspiration and contacts.

Advisors can find useful information in the EU CAP Network’s publications gathering practical knowledge and examples from the ground.

Evaluators enjoy a full section of the EU CAP Network’s website thanks to the specific work of the European Evaluation Helpdesk for the CAP. The Evaluation Glossary compiles essential terms for evaluating CSPs, and has been regularly updated since 2014 with inputs from the Thematic Working Groups. Good Practice Workshops areopen to evaluation stakeholders to exchange experiences and improve evaluation practices.

Operational Groups (OGs) will be interested in learning about funding, innovation support, and collaboration opportunities for EIP-AGRI Operational Group projects, collected via a dedicated portal.

Researchers can find interesting information about Horizon Europe funding opportunities for research and innovation (R&I) thanks to the dedicated web portal, which also includes a useful list of multi-actor projects, and thematic and advisory networks that can speed up the exchange of knowledge and innovation in practice. The portal also provides information about the EU Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’.

A core aspect of the EU CAP Network website is co-creation: the content featured on the website is co-created as much as possible with our stakeholders, and the topics we work on are also identified in consultation with stakeholders. This includes regular exchanges with our governance bodies – the Assembly, the Steering Group and Sub-groups, National Networks (through monthly cluster meetings and dedicated meetings twice a year), as well as the European Commission - DG AGRI.

User feedback is always welcome and is proactively collected to be sure our work is always relevant for our audiences. A stakeholders’ kit on the website allows any CAP stakeholder to easily share information about the Network through a communication pack and to submit content for publication (including events) through a dedicated form.

For more specific questions or suggestions, get in touch directly via the general email addresses listed on the Contacts page. We also listen to you on Facebook, X and LinkedIn and we keep you informed via our monthly newsletter.