The European Parliament has proposed a larger stand-alone budget and lighter paperwork load for farmers ahead of negotiations with member states.

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) argue that agriculture funding for 2028-2034 must remain ring-fenced rather than folded into broader EU envelopes, insisting that direct income support continue for every active professional farmer under an area-based model. In addition, MEPs urged a separate rural-development budget and said incentives, not penalties, should drive environmental and social goals, with voluntary eco-schemes rewarded rather than imposed.

Lawmakers also want incentives for biomass recovery and a full embrace of the circular economy on farms. Parliamentarians proposed digital tools to ease compliance with regulations, from satellite monitoring to self-certification.

MEPs warned that almost 58% of EU farmers are over 55, while only 6% are under 35, a gap Parliament hopes to narrow through richer CAP financing, tax breaks, and easier loans.

Unlike in South Africa, Europe’s farming economy is highly subsidised by taxpayers. Critics of Europe’s agricultural subsidies say these amount to welfare for the rich, bring about significant market distortions, and undermine the competitiveness of farmers in unsubsidised economies.