A recent report has highlighted significant shortcomings in the effectiveness of eco-schemes under the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which were designed to promote sustainability in agriculture. These schemes aim to encourage farmers to adopt environmentally friendly practices, such as improving biodiversity and soil health. However, despite the promise of eco-schemes, many EU Member States have failed to leverage their full potential, leaving many vital environmental goals unmet.
Eco-schemes are intended to incentivize farmers to adopt practices that benefit the environment, and the European Commission claims that 70% of EU agricultural land is now covered by these schemes. However, an analysis conducted across 12 EU countries shows that many countries are opting for the easiest, least impactful measures to meet the sustainability criteria. These measures require minimal changes on the ground and allow countries to appear committed to sustainability without achieving meaningful environmental results. As a result, the more ambitious and potentially transformative eco-schemes, which could have a real impact on biodiversity and the environment, remain underfunded and unattractive to farmers.
The report also critiques the 2024 simplifications to the CAP, which were introduced quickly in response to protests from farmers. While simplification was meant to ease the implementation of eco-schemes, the changes have inadvertently undermined their effectiveness. The rushed adjustments have complicated the schemes and further limited their ability to deliver tangible benefits for the environment.
Key findings from the report reveal that while eco-schemes on average met their planned area targets, there were significant discrepancies in uptake among Member States and between different measures. Less impactful measures, such as nutrient management schemes, saw high participation rates, while biodiversity-focused initiatives experienced poor adoption. Administrative challenges, a lack of promotion, and unattractive payment rates have all contributed to limiting farmer participation in biodiversity-focused schemes, especially for smaller farms, which face higher relative administrative burdens.
Additionally, the design of some eco-schemes has inadvertently incentivized the continuation of status quo farming practices, offering limited environmental benefits. However, some innovative approaches, such as Slovakia’s buffer strips and Poland’s water retention initiatives, demonstrate promising potential for more effective eco-schemes. These initiatives require better-targeted funding and more attractive payment rates to ensure widespread farmer engagement.
Countries with more regionally tailored schemes, flexible payment options, and higher incentives—such as Spain and the Netherlands—have experienced greater farmer participation. However, even in these countries, the eco-schemes tend to prioritize less ambitious measures, which limits their overall environmental impact. Furthermore, many countries have adjusted their national CAP plans following the 2024 simplifications, leading to a dilution of environmental ambitions, with some reducing the areas dedicated to nature or fulfilling obligations in a purely formal sense.
A major issue identified in the report is the lack of systematic and targeted monitoring of eco-schemes, which prevents a proper evaluation of their effectiveness in achieving biodiversity goals. Without such monitoring, it is difficult to assess the success of the schemes or identify areas where improvements are needed.
The report calls for urgent action to address these issues. With just three years remaining in the current CAP cycle, Member States must take the necessary steps to make eco-schemes more effective and appealing to farmers. The report suggests practical solutions to enhance the impact of these schemes, including higher payments, better targeting, and improved flexibility to cater to different farming systems.
For the future, the report stresses that the next CAP must go much further in promoting sustainability. Farmers need the right tools, incentives, and support to make environmental action a core part of their farming practices, rather than treating it as an afterthought. Achieving long-term food security depends on making eco-schemes genuinely effective in protecting the environment, not just offering farmers a green-label income boost.
