# EU Common Agricultural Policy reform negotiations > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/eu-common-agricultural-policy-reform-negotiations > Updated: 2026-10-06T07:20:24.000Z. Sources: 5. Developments: 2. The European Parliament and the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union are negotiating the definition of an ‘active farmer’ for future iterations of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Initial discussions in the European Parliament focused on establishing objective, non-discriminatory criteria to ensure subsidies reach individuals genuinely managing agricultural holdings. Proposed mechanisms included a ‘negative list’ to exclude entities where agriculture is merely a marginal activity. Following these debates, the Irish Presidency proposed a specific framework for the post-2027 period. This proposal grants member states flexibility to use criteria such as income levels, labor, and registration in agricultural registries to determine eligibility. To minimize administrative burdens, the proposal suggests that farmers receiving up to 5,000 euros in previous subsidies could be automatically recognized as active. Additionally, the framework aims to align with World Trade Organization obligations by defining agricultural activity to include both production and land maintenance, potentially qualifying measures for the WTO ‘Green Box’ category. ## Timeline ### 2026-10-06: Ireland proposes new ‘active farmer’ definition for post-2027 CAP The Irish Presidency of the EU Council has proposed a new definition for ‘active farmers’ under the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy, allowing member states to set specific eligibility criteria. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ireland-proposes-new-active-farmer-definition-for-post-2027-cap ### 2026-09-18: European Parliament debates new CAP subsidy criteria for 2028–2034 The European Parliament is negotiating new CAP rules for 2028–2034, focusing on a stricter definition of ‘active farmers’ to ensure subsidies reach genuine food producers. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/european-parliament-debates-new-cap-subsidy-criteria-for-20282034 --- Cite as: EU Common Agricultural Policy reform negotiations. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/eu-common-agricultural-policy-reform-negotiations