Brussels is at it again.
This time with a reform of the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) that promises “simplification,” but smells a lot like organized chaos.
The big new idea?
A giant “single fund” that’s supposed to include everything: money for farmers, local projects, rural development, social policy, energy, connectivity, training…
All thrown into the same pot. Easy, right?
Wrong.
Anyone who knows even a little about the farming world already knows how this ends:
more forms, more paperwork, more conditions, more delays.
Today’s CAP funds are already a jungle of red tape.
With this reform, you’ll need a degree in logistics just to understand where one application ends and the next begins.
And while they talk about “efficiency,” the truth is simple:
they need to cut. Everyone.
Why?
Because they need to find money — for defence, for weapons, for aid to Ukraine —
but especially to rescue Germany’s struggling industry.
So here comes the axe: agriculture must “do its part” too.
Translation: less money, more headaches.
Farewell, rural development?
According to leaked drafts circulating in Brussels, the rural development pillar is about to be scrapped — the one that used to support small towns, mountain communities, and young farmers.
In its place: “regional partnerships” and “national strategies.”
In practice: decisions made in Brussels, while the people in the fields just cross their fingers.
If this actually goes through, get ready to see tractors in front of Parliament again.
Real ones, not metaphorical.
Payment caps, cuts, and bureaucratic gymnastics
Payments will be capped (at €100,000 per person), reduced above certain thresholds, and tied to new environmental and social conditions.
And watch out: if you’re a hobby gardener growing tomatoes on weekends, you might still get something.
But if you’re a real farmer? Good luck.
As always, young farmers are mentioned in every speech, but never show up in the funding.
Ruining a sector that still works
With these so-called “big reforms,” they’re wrecking one of the few sectors in Europe that’s still alive.
Agriculture doesn’t need more rules. It needs:
- stability,
- real money,
- fewer obstacles for people who actually work the land.
But instead of helping those who produce, Brussels spreads everything thin across vague projects: climate, connectivity, resilience, strategic visions…
Too bad you can’t bake bread with visions.
Less CAP, more crap.
Less development, more confusion.
And as usual, the ones who lose out are always the same: the people who work.