Policy Insights - Eco-schemes: evolving the CAP’s green architecture

Eco-schemes are a major new intervention within the CAP’s green architecture, requiring Member States to use a proportion of their direct payments from the CAP for climate, environment, and animal welfare purposes as well as combating anti-microbial resistance. This policy novelty is in its early stages, as the CAP Strategic Plans (CSPs) came into force in January 2023, and EU countries have already introduced a wide range of different eco-schemes throughout rural Europe. 

Eco-scheme payments are conditional on farmers and land managers adjusting their operations to apply sustainable practices that exceed the standard requirements for area and animal-based payments under both CAP funds (EAGF and EAFRD). Member States are allocating a total of €44.7 billion during the 2023-27 period to eco-schemes, which are designed to provide additional environmental or climate outcomes. In total, Member States introduced 158 eco-schemes in 2023 across the 28 CAP Strategic Plans.

This Policy Insights article provides key information about eco-schemes, with useful links that help understand the policy context and goals.

Because the eco-schemes are new in this CAP period, a number of issues have arisen in early stages of their implementation. Some of the main implementation issues identified (by CSP Managing Authorities and stakeholders) are being examined through our EU CAP Network Thematic Group on eco-schemes. An ambitious agenda for the Thematic Group involves examining how to optimise the design and implementation of eco-schemes. Outputs are made available on the TG page as well as on social media (#Ecoschemes).