On June 19 in Brussels, the presidents of Copa and Cogeca announced the launch of a petition titled ‘nosecuritywithoutcap.eu’, aimed at raising awareness and mobilizing the European farming community against the idea of a single fund in which the current Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) could be diluted after 2027.
According to Copa and Cogeca, the approach being taken by the European Commission contradicts both history and its own statements on the strategic importance of agriculture, emphasizing that European security “starts with food security.” They stressed the need to continue supporting farmers’ competitiveness in an increasingly tense global market, where there is “no clarity or guarantees regarding the Commission’s direction.” They warned that continued inaction could lead to further mobilizations at the European level.
Massimiliano Giansanti, president of Copa, explained that the Commission claims agriculture is a priority. “But facts show that the Commission is preparing a 2028–2034 budget in which agricultural funding will be reduced, the CAP could lose its ‘Common’ nature, and policies would need to be re-negotiated without knowing the available resources. And all this is to be presented in mid-summer, in July, during the harvest season. This is simply unacceptable, which is why we’re calling for mobilization through this petition.”
Four Key Demands
Copa and Cogeca have launched a dedicated website outlining four key demands addressed to the European Commission, starting with a specific and increased CAP budget, as the only way to support farmers and ensure food security.
“The CAP must maintain its integrity, with a two-pillar financial structure and a clear, specific, inflation-adjusted budget line in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF),” they state.
They explain that dissolving CAP funding into a general fund would place it in competition with other political priorities, leading to a de facto significant reduction, increased uncertainty, and a threat to the survival of European farmers, EU food security, and the agricultural future of the continent.
The second demand is to preserve the “C” in CAP, rejecting the renationalization of agricultural policy. Such a move, they argue, would fragment the single market, deepen inequalities between Member States, and destabilize rural communities and farmers’ incomes.
Third, they reaffirm that the CAP is based on two pillars, combining direct payments and rural development funding (EAGF and EAFRD).
Finally, they insist that any CAP reform must be accompanied by adequate financial resources and genuine, timely consultation with farmers and agricultural cooperatives. “Rushed proposals without impact assessment risk doing long-term damage to the EU’s farming model and the commitment of rural communities.”
A Clear Message to the Commission
In his remarks, Lennart Nilsson, president of Cogeca, stated that “the EU budget is, above all, a matter of political will,” and reminded that the European Parliament has already sent a clear message to the Commission: “the single fund proposal is simply unacceptable, especially when it comes to agriculture.”
“In a time of global uncertainty, climate challenges, economic shifts and generational change, we know that farming and cooperatives play a key stabilizing role, and we cannot risk their future with budgetary shortcuts.”
Signature Campaign
The petition was opened on June 19 and will remain active throughout the summer. In their statement, Copa and Cogeca called on all organizations, from local to European level, to mobilize around these demands.
