CALL FOR EVIDENCE

FOR AN INITIATIVE (without an impact assessment)

Title of the initiative

Agriculture – strategy for generational renewal

Lead DG – responsible unit

Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development,

Likely Type of initiative

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions

Indicative Timing

Q3 2025

Additional Information

Young people in agriculture and rural areas - European Commission

This document is for information purposes only. It does not prejudge the final decision of the Commission on whether this initiative will be pursued or on its final content. All elements of the initiative described by this document, including its timing, are subject to change.

A. Political context, problem definition and subsidiarity check

Political context

Generational renewal in agriculture is a key priority for the EU, reflected in the common agricultural policy (CAP) for 2023-2027, which requires Member States to allocate at least the equivalent of 3% of direct payments to measures supporting young farmers. However, as the CAP alone cannot fully address barriers such as access to land, capital, knowledge, innovation and rural services, a broader strategic approach is needed.

Recognising this, President von der Leyen has included support for young farmers in her political guidelines for the European Commission, 2024-2029, and has tasked Commissioner Hansen with developing a new strategy for generation renewal in agriculture. The relevance of generational renewal as an issue has also been highlighted in the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture. The Commission’s commitment to presenting the strategy in 2025 is confirmed in the Vision for Agriculture and Food. The strategy aims to strengthen family farms and improve access to capital, with Member States and stakeholders playing a crucial role in ensuring its success.

Problem the initiative aims to tackle

The European agricultural sector faces a demographic challenge with an ageing workforce and a declining number of young farmers and managers. In 2020, the average age of farmers in the EU was 57 years; only 12% were under 40 and only 2.5% of these young farmers were women. This imbalance threatens the long-term sustainability of agriculture, food security and rural economies. While some Member States are doing reasonably well, others are struggling to attract new generations to farming. Without action, farming as a viable occupation is at risk, leading to land abandonment, production risks and rural depopulation.

There are several barriers for young farmers:

·access to land: high prices and low availability limit opportunities for new entrants and make it difficult for young farmers to acquire land;

·access to credit: young farmers face challenges in securing finance due to high borrowing costs, lack of assets, and perceived risks associated with agricultural investment;

·access to knowledge and innovation: market volatility, climate risks and high initial investment costs create uncertainty about profitability, and discourage new entrants from adopting innovative practices and technologies;

·access to general services: the lower availability of essential services in rural areas, including healthcare, education and digital infrastructure reduces the attractiveness of farming as a career for young people.

While the CAP has contributed to generational renewal and remains essential to pursuing this objective, a comprehensive approach involving all relevant actors is needed to address these challenges. Without coordinated efforts, the EU risks a further decline in the number of young farmers, resulting in:

·an ageing workforce;

·more farm closures, affecting food production, rural employment and the economy;

·lower rates of technology adoption and sustainable practices, leading to stagnation;

·decline of rural areas, exacerbating depopulation.

Given these risks, a strategic EU approach is essential to ensure that agriculture remains viable and attractive for future generations.

Basis for EU action (legal basis and subsidiarity check)

Legal basis

The Commission proposes this Communication based on its right of initiative enshrined in Article 17 of the Treaty on European Union. The legal basis for specific initiatives under the strategy will be determined at the implementation stage.

Practical need for EU action

An EU-level strategy is needed because challenges such as an ageing workforce and declining numbers of young farmers, cannot be tackled by one EU policy or by individual Member States alone. Issues such as land abandonment and food security risks have cross-border implications and affect several countries. Barriers to entry, such as problems with access to land and finance, are common across the EU and require coordinated action. An EU-level strategy can encourage collaboration between Member States and the sharing of best practices and innovative solutions. It also provides a basis for additional support through EU policies and funding. By addressing these issues at the EU level, the strategy aims to create a more dynamic, resilient and sustainable agricultural sector.

B. What does the initiative aim to achieve and how

Tackling barriers to generational renewal is an essential part of making the agricultural sector more attractive. Access to land, investments and skills are particularly important. Stimulating a true generational renewal requires a whole-of-society approach and a policy mix across different areas and responsibilities, many of which lie at national or regional level.

This strategy will provide recommendations for the policy response and measures needed, both at EU and national/regional level, e.g. initiatives under Erasmus+, financial instruments, housing, mental health, retirement schemes and succession planning, rural development, energy policy, mobility and tourism, digitalisation, etc.

These measures will help towards generational renewal in agriculture, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the sector, and promoting a more dynamic and resilient farming community across the EU.

Likely impacts

The strategy is expected to have positive economic, social and environmental impacts. Socially, it aims to improve equality, particularly for women and young people, and to reduce rural depopulation. Environmentally, it will encourage the adoption of sustainable farming practices. It will support young farmers, boost rural economies, contributing to food security and job creation. Europe’s rural areas should benefit most from the initiative, while the EU, should see long-term gains in food security and sustainability. The strategy will feed into the EU contribution to some of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) : SG1 (no poverty), SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 8 (decent work), and SDG 13 (climate action).

Future monitoring

The strategy will consist of political and financial measures. The proposal for the new post-2027 CAP will be closely monitored through measures and indicators already available under the current CAP’s performance monitoring and evaluation framework. The Commission will report to the European Parliament, the Council and the Committee of the Regions on the implementation and progress of the strategy.

C. Better regulation

Impact assessment

Given the non-legislative nature of the Commission initiative (Commission Communication), the strategy is not accompanied by an impact assessment. However, any legislative proposals that do result from this strategy will be subject to impact assessment(s), in line with the better regulation guidelines.

Consultation strategy

The Commission kicked off the process of consulting key stakeholders in December 2024. These targeted consultations are ongoing and include young farmers’ representatives, rural youth, and experts from Member States (on the European Board on Agriculture and Food), agricultural civil dialogue groups, and Youth Policy Dialogues. No further public consultation is planned. Instead, this call for evidence document, available for four weeks and in 24 EU languages on the Have Your Say portal, will gather feedback from all stakeholders, including the general public. The feedback received will be summarised and analysed in the strategy. Respondents are asked to reflect on and contribute to: (i) the priority aspects of the strategy (access to land, credit, knowledge, and general services), (ii) whether the current CAP and EU policies adequately address these issues, (iii) additional priorities for the strategy.