COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF CAP STRATEGIC PLANS: IMPACT ON EU POLICY GOALS AND FUTURE PROSPECTS

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for 2023–2027 introduces significant reforms, emphasizing fairness, greening, innovations and simplification through developing a Strategic Plan with a common performance framework. The aim of the study is to present a comparative assessment of the Strategic Plans of the EU Member States and overview the financial allocation and contribution of the plans to the ambitious CAP and Green Deal goals. The survey is based on a methodological framework proposed by Münch et al. (1), utilizing analyses of studies, reports, and expert reviews. The results indicate that while Member States implement different and diverse strategies, direct payments remain predominant. Key and straightened areas include environmental and climate actions, risk management, and the LEADER approach. The strategic plans align well with economic priorities but show lower relevance for rural development. The Strategic plan's links to the goals of the European Green Deal are mentioned but remain mainly unquantified and unclear. Eco-schemes and conditionality measures are expected to lead to an environmental impact. However, their ambitions differ significantly across Member States, potentially undermining the impact of sustainability efforts. Therefore, more ambitious actions towards greening and targeted allocation are needed.