Question for written answer  E-002531/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Piotr Müller (ECR)

Speaking to the Walloon Parliament, Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin gave an assurance that direct payments to farmers would remain protected in the future EU budget.

This is easy to say, but it doesn’t give the complete picture. Claiming that Pillar I will be protected without giving a guarantee for Pillar II is a ruse which undermines the coherence of the Common Agricultural Policy. It is the rural development funds which make decisions on investment, modernisation and the long-term competitiveness of agriculture.

The lack of a guarantee for Pillar II gives rise to legitimate fears that it will be phased out and that farmers will lose their influence over the shaping of agricultural policy. What have been announced as ‘simplifications’ are actually a smokescreen for shifting funds outside the CAP, and this is happening at a time when the cohesion policy budget is also set to be cut.

In light of the above:

Submitted: 24.6.2025

Last updated: 3 July 2025