European Union agricultural funding and Polish farm succession face challenges

The future of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is facing uncertainty as major political groups in the European Parliament withhold support for the 2028–2034 budget. Representatives from the European People's Party and social democrats are demanding binding guarantees to ensure that funds intended for farmers and rural development are protected. While the European Commission anticipates at least €300 billion for agricultural support and crisis management, MEPs argue that current proposals lack sufficient legal safeguards to guarantee these resources reach farmers.

In Poland, discussions in the Sejm subcommittee on food security have highlighted difficulties regarding the succession of family farms. Challenges include low pensions, intergenerational conflicts, and the reluctance of older farmers to relinquish control of their land. Some officials have proposed introducing bridge pensions to incentivize older farmers to transfer their holdings to younger generations, who often seek to implement more modern technologies and different production methods than their predecessors.