European Commissioner Christophe Hansen highlights livestock farming's vital role in agriculture, as the PAC 2028-2034 reform faces challenges and debates over funding and support.
Commissioner wears cow-themed tie
European Commissioner Christophe Hansen addressed attendees of the Livestock Summit on October 6 via video, wearing a tie decorated with cows, as part of efforts to reaffirm the role of livestock farming in European agriculture.PAC reform aims to boost support
The new PAC 2028-2034 reform, which will not be finalized until early 2027, aims to increase the ceiling for coupled aids from 13% to 20% or even 25% under certain conditions. The European Commission has proposed a strategy dedicated to the sector, including the establishment of a grass premium to encourage the maintenance of pastures and the maintenance of compensatory payments for difficult areas.Past reforms caused local pain
The reform of the PAC that came into effect in 2023 has left scars in Cournon d'Auvergne, where support for beef cattle was replaced with calculated aid for the UGB, penalizing many French breeding farms. Commissioner Hansen emphasized that livestock farming represents 40% of the added value of European agriculture, 400 billion euros in turnover, and 7 million jobs. He presented himself as the son and brother of a farmer.Supporters and critics speak out
Brigitte Misonne, representative of the European Commission at the Livestock Summit, stated that the strategy aims to show that livestock farming is a noble activity. European Parliament member Nobert Lins warned that the strategy for livestock farming should not become a tool for structural reduction of the sector. Patrick Benezit, president of the FNB, cautioned that the strategy gives hope but warned against undoing the proposals.Funding levels under discussion
The European Commission proposes to allocate at least 300 billion euros to support agricultural income and crisis management for the next PAC, compared to nearly 387 billion euros currently. For France, the announced decrease would reach 22%. Ursula von der Leyen announced the possibility of mobilizing up to 45 billion euros additional from 2028, but this is not new money, as the amounts would be taken from other envelopes, in the hands of the member states.Environmental and climate focus
The Commission proposes to merge agro-environmental and climate measures (MAEC) with eco-schemes in a program called "agro-environmental and climate actions." The system would depend more on national budgetary capacities, with a 30% co-financing from the European and national levels. The risk is that environmental ambitions may vary according to the resources mobilized by each country.Revised aid targeting
The European Commission intends to work on the allocation of aid by redefining the "active farmer" for better targeting. Brussels also aims to taper income support, with a threshold of 20,000 euros per year and per farmer, and a cap at 100,000 euros. The objective is to better redistribute support to those in particular areas or conditions, such as young farmers or small farms.Challenges in a changing Europe
Brigitte Misonne noted that today's Europe is no longer the one from seven years ago, with a war at its borders and drones attacking European territory. Preserving 300 billion euros for agricultural income support is already a "tough battle." The future PAC is taking shape in a context of transition driven by the possible expansion of the Union to the east. The Commission is anticipating Ukraine's integration, noting that some measures, such as the tapering of income support, go in this direction.
