Brussels, 26 June 2025 – A New Day for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): that is how EFFAT defines its latest comprehensive demands for the upcoming post-2027 CAP reform.
At an event bringing together farm workers, trade union leaders, the EU Commissioner for Food and Agriculture Cristophe Hansen and Members of the European Parliament, EFFAT launched its position paper: “A More Social CAP for a Truly Attractive European Agriculture.” The document lays out a bold vision to reform the EU’s agricultural policy and deliver safer, fairer, and more dignified working conditions in the sector.
Rachid, a farm worker from Spain intervened at the event and said “working in agriculture is tough, poorly paid and dangerous. Many employers do not respect applicable collective agreements and basic labour standards” .
Despite their essential role in Europe’s food system, agricultural workers remain among the most vulnerable in the EU:
- 10 million employed in agriculture across the EU.
- 32% of them working undeclared, with no access to social protection and labour rights.
- The sector experiences approximately 500 fatal and 150,000 non-fatal accidents annually — reflecting persistently unsafe working conditions.
- Countless workers face exploitation and exclusion, particularly migrant and seasonal workers.
The upcoming post-2027 reform offers a critical opportunity to transform agricultural policy so that it delivers for working people and helps tackle the long-standing issues rooted in the sector.
Following a historic breakthrough with the introduction of Social Conditionality in the last CAP reform, EFFAT is now pushing to strengthen and enforce this hard-won achievement.
“This is a turning point where we gather to defend the principle of Social Conditionality — strengthen and enforce it”- said Fabrizio De Pascale, President of EFFAT Agriculture Sector. “Too many of the essential workers who feed us remain invisible. Social justice must be at the core of the new CAP.”
EFFAT’s Key Demands for the Post-2027 CAP:
- Strengthening Social Conditionality through full implementation and an ex ante mechanism, broader scope, binding inspection targets, and effective monitoring.
- Securing a strong CAP budget that rewards Member States advancing social goals such as tackling undeclared work, promoting collective bargaining, and reducing workplace accidents.
- Broadening direct payment criteria to include the employment dimension. Declared worked hours, social security contributions and stability of employment must be factored in, not just land ownership.
- Making worker training and education mandatory, especially in labour-intensive sectors like fruit, vegetable, and wine production.
“We cannot talk about sustainability in agriculture without social rights. Environmental progress must go hand in hand with better working and living conditions. The CAP must reflect this twin ambition,” said Enrico Somaglia, EFFAT General Secretary. “We call on the EU institutions and national governments to use this CAP reform to help raise labour standards for millions of farm workers that are left at the very end of our food systems and promote decent work across rural Europe. That is the only way to make the sector more attractive”
EFFAT opposes any reduction in the overall CAP budget and urges the EU to fairly redistribute funds to support small and family farms, decent employment, and territorial cohesion — key elements for a resilient and inclusive agricultural sector.
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