CAP reform after 2027: some thoughts on the European Commission's proposals 35 aimed at protecting soil, water resources and agricultural landscapes, which will be mandatory for all farmers applying for the income support that will come into force; and the so-called agrienvironmental and climate actions that will replace the current eco-schemes and agri-environmental measures, which, while optional for farmers, will be mandatory for all Member States. These are different types of incentives for agricultural producers, the financing of which will, in all cases, require a minimum national contribution rate of 30%, for young and new farmers, women and small farmers; • the establishment of identical mandatory degressivity levels for all Member States, starting at €20,000 per year per beneficiary, with a mandatory cap of €100,000; • the exclusion from this support, by 2032, of all beneficiaries of retirement age and receiving a pension, as a way of promoting generational renewal in the agricultural sector. These are different types of incentives for agricultural producers, the financing of which will, in all cases, require a minimum national contribution rate of 30%, contrary to what has been the casuentil now for a significant part of this type of intervention (eco-scheme payment s). Some thoughts on the CAP reform proposals The following are the most controversial issues in the ongoing debates on the proposals for reform of the CAP post-2027, on which I would like to offer some reflections: contrary to what has been the case until now for a significant part of this type of intervention (eco-scheme payments). Another significant change in this area concerns the weight given to the respective payments in the overall context of eligible expenditure. This has gone from 35% to 0% in terms of CAP-exclusive funds, to 43% in the Partnership Plan and to 35% at the level of the MFF. Fourth, replacing the current basic payment, redistributive supplementary payment and supplementary income support for young farmers with a single new payment called degressive income support based on eligible area. To implement this new type of intervention, the EC proposes the following main guidelines: • the introduction of harmonised income support between the different Member States with an average annual value of between €130 and €240 per hectare of eligible area, definitively abolishing entitlements and the internal and external convergence process; • the possibility of differentiating support on the basis of socio-economic criteria and, in particular, • the broader and potentially more contentious scope of the proposed new governance model; • the possible reduction in the budget allocated to CAP interventions and greater autonomy for Member States in its allocation; • the process of harmonising direct income support and making it more degressive; • the risks and opportunities created by the new Green Architecture; The creation of the Single Fund paves the way for a new model of CAP governance, both at EU and at national level. At EU level, the EC's new proposals for agriculture will continue to be negotiated primarily by the Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH) and the European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (COMAGRI), but since the CAP will now be integrated into a Single Fund, its legislation will depend
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