Common Agricultural Policy: Strategic Plans (CSPs)

The CAP Strategic Plans (CSPs)¹ are the main implementation instrument of the CAP, which entered into force on 1 January 2023. They represent a shift from a uniform, rules-based approach to a more flexible and results-oriented policy framework, under which EU MS are responsible for designing and delivering interventions tailored to their domestic and regional needs, while contributing to a set of ten common EU-level objectives covering economic viability, environmental sustainability, climate action, and social cohesion. In total, 28 CSPs have been adopted.

Each CSP brings together previously separate CAP instruments into a single integrated strategy, combining direct income support, rural development measures, and market-related interventions. The plans must comply with EU legislation and demonstrate consistency with the European Green Deal, including objectives under the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies². A defining feature of the current programming period is the transition to a performance-based delivery model, under which progress is measured against a common set of indicators and reported annually through Annual Performance Reports (APRs). Social considerations are also strengthened, with increased support for smaller farms, enhanced redistributive payments, and measures to encourage generational renewal in rural areas.

A key delivery mechanism under the CAP Strategic Plans is the strengthening of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) — the combined networks of organisations, institutions, and knowledge flows that generate, share, and apply knowledge for agriculture and related sectors. A functional AKIS fosters innovation, strengthens advisory services, and accelerates digitalisation, thereby supporting long-term food security, competitiveness, and climate action in line with the objectives of the CAP Strategic Plans.

The Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance for Rural Development (IPARD)

IPARD III³ is the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance for Rural Development for the 2021–2027 programming period and forms a dedicated component of the IPA III framework. It targets rural areas and agri-food sectors in economies on the path to EU accession to align agricultural practices, rural development policies, and administrative systems with the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)⁴. IPARD III combines investment support with strict institutional and control requirements, allowing beneficiaries to progressively apply CAP rules prior to accession.

For WB6, IPARD III is a primary delivery mechanism for the GAWB. The programme provides approximately €990 million in EU funding, complemented by domestic co-financing, to enhance the competitiveness of the agri-food sector, improve farm efficiency, and support structural transformation in rural areas. It places increased emphasis on the green transition, supporting investments in renewable energy, circular economy solutions, waste management, and resource efficiency. Environmental ambition is reinforced through dedicated measures, notably Measure 4 (agri-environment-climate and organic farming) and Measure 11 (establishment and protection of forests), which finance actions that go beyond minimum legal requirements.

Agri-environmental measures (AEMs)

Agri-environmental measures (AEMs)⁵ are voluntary farming practices and land management commitments through which farmers deliver environmental and climate benefits that go beyond mandatory legal requirements. They are a central component of the CAP and are designed to reconcile agricultural activity with the protection of natural resources, biodiversity, and ecosystems, while contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation.

AEMs promote management practices that improve soil health, water quality, and biodiversity, and support climate resilience in agricultural landscapes. They cover a wide range of actions, including organic farming, agro-ecological approaches, carbon farming, precision agriculture, and the maintenance of high-nature-value areas such as mountain pastures. Unlike traditional area-based subsidies, AEMs increasingly follow a results- and performance-oriented logic, requiring beneficiaries to meet enhanced environmental standards and comply with strengthened baseline obligations, including biodiversity-related requirements such as maintaining non-productive landscape features.