The delivery of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) proposals for post-2027 next month before a generational renewal strategy is "putting the cart before the horse", according to European Council of Young Farmers (CEJA)  president Peter Meedendorp.

The CEJA president made the comment as he addressed EU agriculture ministers during the informal AgriFish Council in Warsaw earlier this week.

Meedendorp stressed the "urgent need" to anchor generational renewal in "concrete support for young farmers" under the next CAP.

He called for ministers to hold the European Commission "accountable for matching their strategic ambitions with the appropriate timeline, but also the necessary CAP dedicated funds and instruments".

Speaking on behalf of Europe’s young farmers, Meedendorp called for greater alignment between long-term policy objectives and the upcoming CAP reform.

"We welcome the preparation of a strategy for generational renewal in agriculture for autumn 2025," he said.

"But how can we seriously talk about it, when the European Commission is poised to table its main instrument already on July 16?

"The current process in which the CAP is designed does not give young farmers faith in a successful strategy for generational renewal and is thus very hard to accept."

The focus of the meeting at which Meedendorp was speaking was 'generational renewal as a basis for innovation and modernisation in agriculture'.

The CEJA president said that the potential to bring innovation is an important driver.

However, he added: "Generational renewal is also about access to land, credit, knowledge, profitability, and a strong, supportive CAP.

"We do have, in the EU, young people with a promising vision, willing to work with passion in farming.

"But they also want to make a living out of this activity, with pride and a healthy work-life balance."

Meedendorp presented CEJA’s position paper for the CAP post-2027, which the council developed over the past two years. He underlined four key priorities for generational renewal in the CAP reform:

Align policy timelines with strategic goals - ensuring consistency between the CAP design process and the EU’s declared objectives on generational renewal;
Secure ambitious funding and generational renewal ringfencing – with a dedicated CAP, in a standalone legislation, and an earmarked generational renewal envelope of €30 billion for 2028-2024, representing 10% of the current direct payments level;
Improve the use of existing CAP tools – calling on member states to boost uptake of effective measures, such as cooperation for farm succession;
Expand the generational renewal toolbox – keeping but moving beyond direct payments and installation aid to include farm transmission schemes, climate diagnostics, mediation services, as well as targeted risk management for young farmers, thanks to an increased ringfencing.

Ahead of both the CAP proposals and Budget 2026, Macra president Josephine O'Neill told Agriland that generational renewal is the association's main priority.

The number of farm holders under 35 continues to decline, yet "we haven't seen any action" by government to address this, according to Macra.

O'Neill said: "We need our government to act - we want to farm, but we need our government to give us the opportunities and the supports that we need to be able to farm."

Macra has proposed a succession scheme for a number of years with "no action taken" by the previous Government, O'Neill explained.

"We were delighted when we saw the succession scheme mentioned in the programme for government, but it still hasn't been delivered," the Macra president continued.

"We want a succession scheme which includes a transition element that allows the older farmer to pass on the management of the farm to the younger farmer, remaining in a supportive and advisory role to the younger farmer."

Without the viability of a state pension for many older farmers, Macra said it would be asking that the "transition element includes a subsidy for the older farmer to support the succession process".

O'Neill said that as part of the focus on generational renewal, Macra is also lobbying for the delivery of installation aid as part of the next CAP to support younger farmers to enter the sector.