On 16 July 2025, the European Commission will present its proposal for the next multiannual financial framework (MFF), which will set the broad guidelines for the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The amounts are not yet known, but the first political indications are already causing serious concern. Our Walloon Minister for Agriculture, Anne-Catherine Dalcq, responds and warns of the threats facing the future post-2027 CAP.
The danger is twofold: a reduction in the budget allocated to agriculture, and its dilution within an overall envelope, without a specific budget line. For the minister, this shift would be a major strategic mistake.
The CAP is one of the concrete successes of European construction. Over a few decades, it has enabled Europe to secure its food autonomy, support its farmers and break free from import dependency. Today, as geopolitical and climate instability intensifies, abandoning a strong food policy would be a historic mistake. Food sovereignty is not a luxury: it is a strategic necessity. It is about being able to feed our population with our own resources, without depending on global markets for what matters most: eating.
For several weeks, the minister has been engaging in formal and informal talks with stakeholders, both in Belgium and at European level, to stress the importance of a coherent, modern and clear CAP. A policy that must both enable young, independent farmers to set up, given that 50% of Walloon farmers are over 55, and support investment in more sustainable practices, notably through innovative equipment that reduces the use of plant protection products. “It's time to get back to basics: knowing who will feed us tomorrow, under what conditions, and with what resources,” insists Anne-Catherine Dalcq.
The minister rejects the idea of pitting the environment, agricultural employment and food security against each other. On the contrary, the CAP must align these objectives. A reduction in its budget could, paradoxically, negatively impact biodiversity measures. For Anne-Catherine Dalcq, a policy reduced to a purely environmental logic would be incomplete and ineffective. We need a fair, strong and modern CAP. Not for the past, but for our future. Because eating is a basic need. And it starts in our fields.
The discussion on the post-2027 CAP cannot take place without keeping the essential in mind: guaranteeing every citizen quality, local food at a fair price. As the person responsible for a healthy agricultural sector, the minister affirms it: she is and will remain by the farmers' side. And she will resolutely champion the voice of a strong, sustainable and sovereign Walloon agriculture in the European debate.