According to the latest Eurobarometer, support for the EU's common agricultural policy (CAP) has reached an all-time high with the level of public awareness for the CAP at its highest level since 2007.
The special Eurobarometer survey, “Europeans, Agriculture and the CAP”, was published last week and is based on responses in all 27 EU Member States between 13 June and 8 July 2024. Over 26,000 respondents from different social and demographic groups were interviewed in their national language.
In its press release the Commission highlighted the positive attitudes to the CAP and to the farmers. 70% of respondents agree that, through the CAP, the EU is successfully fulfilling its role in providing safe, healthy, and sustainable high-quality food.
According to the Commission, the survey also reveals a strong appreciation for farmers among EU citizens as 92% say that, in the EU, agriculture and rural areas are important for its future. More than half (56%) indicate that the level of EU financial support to farmers to help stabilise their income is right.
The survey was commissioned by Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development to explore public opinion of agriculture and the CAP. It focused on awareness of the CAP and covered several topics, including food security, financial support to farmers, international trade in agricultural products, and factors influencing the purchase of food products.
“I am delighted that EU citizens are showing unprecedented awareness and support for the CAP,“ commented Christophe Hansen, the new Commissioner for Agriculture and Food. “It has become a real building block of European integration and shows the importance of farmers and agriculture in our society.”
“Our citizens trust our policies to help farmers provide safe food, adopt environmentally-friendly practices and boost employment in rural areas. This is a real European success story, shaping a sustainable future for all.”
While the Commission’s press release hardly mentions animal welfare, it does come up several times in the report.
88% of the respondents reported that the fact that food products have been produced in line with higher environmental and animal welfare standards is an important factor in their purchasing decisions. A similar majority also agrees that agricultural imports of any origin should only enter the EU if their production complies with the EU’s environmental and animal welfare standards.
While some respondents (31%) think that the production of food products in the EU is more expensive than in other countries, because of higher standards, a majority (88 %) seems to be willing to pay for quality food sourced in line with high standards.
Important factors in their food purchasing decisions are the fact that food products are part of a short supply chain, i.e. they are directly purchased from food producers or there are few intermediaries between food producers and consumers, and that they have been produced in line with higher environmental and animal welfare standards.
A Commission spokesperson declined to reply to a question whether the Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, Olivér Várhelyi, had been consulted about the report and referred to a previous Eurobarometer from October 2023 which focused on animal welfare.
“This new survey only confirms the findings of the 2023 Eurobarometer on animal welfare: consumers expect farming to be subject to high animal welfare standards,” Vinciane Patelou, Head of EU at Compassion in World Farming, told The Brussels Times.
“Protecting the welfare of farmed animals remains a top priority for European citizens and, through the End the Cage Age European Citizens Initiative, have made it clear beyond any doubt that this means banning cages in farming. We hope the next reform of the CAP will make this a reality through appropriate support for farmers to transition out of factory farming.”
The first Agriculture and Fisheries Council this year will take place on 27 January but the agenda has not been set yet. In his hearing in the European Parliament last November, Varhelyi confirmed that he aims to finalise the Commission proposal on live animal transports as soon as possible. A Council proposal on companion dogs is also in the pipeline.
M. Apelblat
The Brussels Times
