Criticized by green MEPs and part of the left, the new CAP was finally adopted in the European Parliament on Tuesday.

MEPs, meeting in plenary session in Strasbourg, voted on three texts governing this Common Agricultural Policy, approved respectively by 452 votes (178 against, 57 abstentions), 485 votes (142 against and 61 abstentions) and 487 votes (130 against and 71 abstentions).

The Greens group voted against these three texts, as did part of the Social Democrats (S & D) and the majority of the GUE (radical left).

This CAP, which will apply from January 2023, has a budget of 387 billion euros until 2027 - nearly a third of the EU's multiannual budget - including 270 billion in aid direct to farmers.

France remains the main beneficiary country.

Animal welfare bonuses

The reform plans to grant bonuses to farmers participating in more demanding environmental programs, using more ecological techniques or contributing to improving animal welfare.

States will have to devote an average of 25% per year of direct payments to these “eco-schemes” between 2023 and 2027, with the possibility of devoting only 20% to them for the first two years.

"This is a first", underlined in the hemicycle of the Parliament the German MEP Peter Jahr (EPP, right), rapporteur of one of the three texts.

"We have made this CAP more sustainable, more transparent and more predictable," he said after the vote.

European Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski, present in Strasbourg, spoke of "a good result which will enable the CAP to ensure a transition towards more sustainable agriculture".

Objective: a quarter of the land reserved for organic

Each state must prepare a “strategic plan” by the end of 2021 detailing its use of European funds.

Brussels will have to verify the compliance of these national agricultural policies with the objectives of reducing greenhouse gases (Green Pact) and reducing pesticides by 50% by 2030, with a quarter of the land reserved for organic farming.

An alignment which is however not binding enough for environmentalists, which activists denounced in the morning by a symbolic "burial" of organic farming in front of Parliament.

At least 10% of direct payments will have to be redistributed to small and medium-sized farms, states will have to use at least 3% of the budget to support young farmers.

A permanent “crisis reserve” of at least 450 million euros is established in the event of price instability.

Greta Thunberg calls this CAP disastrous

But according to the Lithuanian environmental MEP Bronis Rope, this "new CAP does not make it possible to resolve social inequalities, nor to achieve the objectives of environmental protection".

He also pointed to a greater room for maneuver granted to the Member States, which “will prevent proper implementation of the CAP”.

"A de facto renationalization, a historical misunderstanding", also criticized the French socialist Éric Andrieu, while acknowledging "real progress" with in particular "more regulation" and sanctions planned for farmers who do not respect the rights of the job.

On the side of Renew Europe (center), Pascal Canfin welcomed "a good reform which will clearly introduce structural changes in the way agricultural policy is conducted, while being practicable on a daily basis by farmers". A point of view contested by the Greens, who demanded a new CAP "consistent" with European objectives in terms of biodiversity and food security. Organic farmer and agronomist, Frenchman Benoît Biteau blasted "a gift for Eurosceptics, agro-business and climate-skeptics".

Same story on the side of Manuel Bompard (GUE / NGL, radical left), for whom the vote of this CAP is "in contradiction with all (the) speeches on the Green Pact", as of the activist for the climate Greta Thunberg, who on Twitter described this CAP on Friday as "disastrous for the climate and the environment".

The Confédération paysanne, the third-largest union of French farmers, denounced a “low-cost CAP” which will not allow European environmental commitments to be met.

After Tuesday's vote, this CAP will still have to receive the formal endorsement of member states.

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