Implementation of CAP Strategic Plan proceeds – adjustments to be made to enhance impact

The first evaluations have been published on the preliminary impacts and results of Finland’s CAP Strategic Plan. The evaluations analysed the results and impact achieved related to the entrepreneurial income and competitiveness of agriculture, animal welfare, the biodiversity of agricultural environments and emissions from agriculture. The evaluations also contain recommendations for developing the CAP Strategic Plan and the next policy period.

The direct payments and compensatory allowances of the EU funding for agriculture have had an important role in strengthening the resilience of agriculture, especially in view of the varying market and weather conditions. The payments have provided a stable and predictable source of income that balances the fluctuations in the entrepreneurial income in different production sectors. The amounts of the support payments are not likely to increase in the future, which means that other instruments to enhance resilience should be strengthened. In the longer term, the focus of the support system should gradually shift from direct area-related payments towards risk management and performance-based types of payment. Strengthening resilience should be the key target when planning these schemes. The measures of the present CAP Strategic Plan should also take into account the risks that will become more common due to climate change and the spread of different kinds of animal diseases. The evaluation recommends that the risk management package of the CAP Strategic Plan should be able to respond to crisis management associated with climate change.