EU Permits Member States to Increase Payments to Farmers Following Protests

The European Commission announced on Friday that EU member states will be allowed to increase financial support to farmers, following widespread protests that led to the relaxation of certain climate regulations.

The Commission stated that it would enable countries to provide higher advance payments from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) funds. This adjustment will allow farmers to receive up to 70% of direct payments upfront starting in October, compared to the current 50%, and up to 85% in advance for rural development programs involving land and animal-based interventions, up from the current 75%.

"EU farmers continue to face financial difficulties, largely due to extreme weather events that have affected crop yields, high interest rates across European financial markets, and rising costs of agricultural inputs and commodities," the Commission said in a statement.

The EU has implemented similar measures in the past, notably during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, to support the agricultural sector.

Earlier this year, farmers staged protests, blocking roads and demanding better action to address low incomes, cheap imports, stringent regulations, and unfair competition from foreign markets. These protests prompted a shift in EU policy, with Brussels revising key environmental goals.

The EU has since withdrawn a proposed law to reduce pesticide use, postponed a target requiring farmers to leave some land fallow to promote biodiversity, and abandoned a 2040 goal aimed at cutting agricultural emissions.