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Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee – Communication from the European Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions – Strategy for generational renewal in agriculture (COM(2025) 872 final – SWD(2025) 872 final)

EESC 2025/03547

OJ C, C/2026/3244, 2.7.2026, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2026/3244/oj (BG, ES, CS, DA, DE, ET, EL, EN, FR, GA, HR, IT, LV, LT, HU, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SL, FI, SV)

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2026/3244/oj

Date of document:: 19/03/2026; Date of vote
Date of vote:: 19/03/2026
Date lodged:: 25/11/2025

Author:: European Economic and Social Committee
Responsible body:: Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment, EESC_NAT
Rapporteur:: Arnold PUECH D'ALISSAC
Form:: Opinion
Internal reference:: NAT/963, AVIS-SECTION 2025/3547 FIN
Session:: 604

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Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union

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12016E304

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52025DC0872 ESC Opinion
52025SC0872 ESC Opinion

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03.10.20.00 Agriculture / Basic provisions / Common agricultural policy mechanisms
03.30.00.00 Agriculture / Agricultural structures

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C/2026/3244

2.7.2026

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee

Communication from the European Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions

Strategy for generational renewal in agriculture

(COM(2025) 872 final – SWD(2025) 872 final)

(C/2026/3244)

Rapporteur:

Arnold PUECH d’ALISSAC

Advisor	Amaryllis BLIN (for the rapporteur)
Legal basis	Article 304 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)
Referral	Commission, 25.11.2025
Section responsible	Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment
Adopted in section	26.2.2026
Adopted at plenary session	19.3.2026
Plenary session No	604
Outcome of vote (for/against/abstentions)	201/0/3

1. Conclusions and recommendations

1.1.

Above all, the EESC considers it crucial for the European Commission to oblige the Member States to bring their legislation into line with the recommendations of its strategy.

1.2.

The EESC calls on the Commission to swiftly carry out an impact assessment on the situation of young farmers in the Member States.

1.3.

The EESC welcomes the Commission’s strategy but fears it will remain purely theoretical, believing that it stands no chance of being implemented effectively with the current drastic reductions in the common agricultural policy (CAP) budget. Moreover, the Committee considers this strategy to be overly incentive-based when it should be binding, and therefore calls for the 6 % CAP envelope dedicated to young farmers to become a mandatory minimum. It also calls for the introduction of a ‘minimum turnover’ principle to be determined at Member State level, which would be essential in order to safeguard the future farmer’s activity;

1.4.

The EESC stresses the importance of ensuring consistency with the simplification proposals, both within the CAP and outside its scope, with a view to facilitating transition measures between generations. In particular, it stresses the need to drastically reduce the time frames, legal uncertainty and administrative burdens associated with obtaining operating authorisations and the permits required to set up, build or take over a farm, which in several Member States constitute a major obstacle to generational renewal. It also emphasises the importance of a holistic and inclusive approach focused on farmers, but also on young workers and vulnerable groups.

1.5.

The EESC believes that the next programming of the CAP must consolidate existing tools and enhance their complementarity (1), in particular by increasing the amount of complementary income support for young farmers (CISYF), start-up support (or allocations for young farmers) and investment aid for young farmers. The CAP’s risk management tools should also be mobilised and provided with a substantial budget.

1.6.

The EESC believes that, without investment capacity, intergenerational renewal is not feasible. It calls for the introduction of simple, adapted and non-bureaucratic financial instruments, particularly in connection with financial products offered by banks (2).

1.7.

The EESC supports the crucial role of contracts. It welcomes the approval by the European Parliament, in October 2025, of a revision of the common market organisation (CMO) rules introducing mandatory contracts between producers and their buyers at EU level, which is a key measure for rebalancing trade relations.

1.8.

The EESC highlights the relevance of national regulations such as the French EGAlim laws or the Spanish Food Chain Law, from which other Member States should draw inspiration to make commercial relations between producers and buyers fairer.

1.9.

Regarding access to skills, the EESC calls for initial training and the continuous learning process among farmers and farm workers to be promoted and strengthened.

1.10.

The EESC explains that the climate crisis heightens the urgency of intergenerational renewal. All farmers and farm workers must have the necessary knowledge to anticipate these challenges and be able to cope with this reality, of which they are the first to suffer the consequences.

1.11.

Nevertheless, the EESC considers it urgent that, despite these difficulties, agriculture should become a genuine career choice. The Committee calls for an ambitious and positive European communication campaign on agriculture, highlighting its strategic, economic, societal and environmental importance. It urges the Commission to make food and agricultural education compulsory at Member State level from an early age, by adjusting school curricula (theoretical classes, farm visits, etc.). In particular, success stories should be emphasised.

1.12.

The EESC stresses the importance of promoting vibrant, prosperous, accessible and resilient rural areas – with adequate access to essential services, housing, mobility and digital connectivity – in the EU. It is important that rural development remain a strong objective in the CAP and that sufficient funding be allocated to it (3). The EU must continue its efforts to successfully deliver on its long-term vision for rural areas.

1.13.

The EESC believes that contractual jobs, predictable working conditions and secure livelihoods are in the common interest of workers, farmers and rural communities. These key conditions create a stable environment that can attract younger generations to agriculture and foster intergenerational renewal.

1.14.

The EESC stresses the importance of guarantee and support mechanisms for young entrepreneurs, with the aim of providing economic security for their farming projects during the start-up phase, while reducing risk exposure and reassuring their partners. To this end, the EESC calls for young farmers and farmers transferring or leasing their farms to young people to be exempted from any tax burden for the first five years after setting up.

1.15.

The EESC believes that the EU should encourage Member States to set up effective farm support and replacement labour systems, either as part of national social security or under the CAP.

1.16.

Finally, the EESC stresses the importance of a secure pension system that is fair and adapted to the reality of agricultural careers, which are often characterised by irregular incomes, and regrets the strategy’s lack of ambition on this fundamental point. Succession and pension schemes must allow people to retire with dignity and security, and make it easier to transfer farms. In the EESC’s view, it should not be possible to receive both a pension and CAP payments at the same time.

2. Introduction

2.1.

This opinion highlights the EESC’s contribution to the strategy for generational renewal proposed by the Commission on 24 October 2024. The resulting measures aim to ensure a sustainable, resilient and attractive agricultural sector in the future.

2.2.

In 2020, the average age of European farmers was 57 years, with only 12 % of them under 40. In the next few years, one in three farmers will retire. This demographic situation threatens the EU’s food security and strategic autonomy (4).

2.3.

Farming is a risky profession shaped by climatic, economic and market-related uncertainties; it is heavily regulated, with difficult working conditions, and requires highly specialised and specific technical knowledge. At the same time, burdensome red tape is an obstacle to setting up a farm. For agriculture to remain an attractive sector, it must provide appropriate living and working conditions, as well as a specific and tailored framework and tools, enabling farmers to remain resilient in a sector constantly exposed to these pressures.

2.4.

The EESC stresses that access to land, affordable credit and essential skills remain major obstacles for young farmers. It calls on the Commission to carry out an updated, in-depth impact assessment of the situation of young farmers across all Member States. Portugal, where the situation is among the most worrying, has already undertaken this work over a fifteen-year period. The EESC also supports the European Parliament’s call in 2023 to include an assessment of the socio-economic impact on young farmers in all future agricultural, climate and environmental legislation (5).

2.5.

For the EESC, the overriding priority is to offer young people realistic economic prospects. No-one will embark on a career in agriculture if they have no possibility of earning a decent income and achieving long-term profitability. The EESC highlights the paradox of an agricultural sector that is expected to deal decisively with major challenges, such as food sovereignty, climate change and sustainability, yet has its financial resources reduced. Without sufficient support through the CAP, farm incomes will not be viable, and intergenerational renewal will not take place. If European agriculture falters, it will be food that fails to meet our standards that feeds the Union’s citizens.

2.6.

For the EESC, intergenerational renewal requires a holistic and inclusive approach that covers not only farmers, but also farm workers and vulnerable groups. A closer look at the agricultural labour market reveals the growing importance of farm workers in stabilising rural employment and supporting the sector’s sustainability (6).

2.7.

At the same time, the EESC emphasises regenerative forms of agriculture that can enhance sustainable food production, supporting climate, soil health and biodiversity objectives while increasing both income for farmers as well as agricultural productivity and resilience to extreme climate events. Regenerative agriculture promotes a new vision capable of driving the sector’s renewal, attracting young people and new entrants, and fostering sustainable business models and financing. It highlights the fact that agriculture is part of the solution to tackling climate change and biodiversity loss, and that it strengthens the link between healthy, resilient ecosystems and prosperity (7).

2.8.

Beyond the CAP, dealing with certain obstacles is the responsibility of the Member States. This is in line with the Commission’s request that Member States develop ‘national strategies by 2028’, including targeted support measures in line with its recommendations. Member States will be required to report regularly on their progress. In this opinion, the EESC intends to put forward a number of measures that could form part of the Member States’ strategies in question, and to impress upon the Commission the importance of developing, as soon as possible, monitoring indicators that will make it possible to objectively assess the impact of the actions undertaken.

3. Commission proposal and budget

3.1.

The Commission’s strategy aims to double the number of young farmers in the EU by 2040 (from 1,09 million to 2,18 million, out of a total of 9,1 million farmers in 2020) so that young farmers and new entrants make up around 24 % of European farmers. To this end, it highlights five key levers for action, covering access to land, finance, skills, fair living standards in rural areas, and support for succession.

3.2.

The strategy is designed to be implemented at multiple levels: through the current and future CAP, complementary EU policies, and country-led actions on each of the levers identified. To ensure its success, the Commission affirms the importance of commitment at all levels – European, national and regional. In this regard, the EESC agrees with Copa-Cogeca’s proposal to call on the Commission to require that the Member States put in place a clear legal framework (outside the CAP), which would help to encourage young people to enter and remain in this sector. This would include taxation, pension systems, land policy measures, education and training.

3.3.

As regards the budget, the Commission proposes doubling the share of each Member State’s allocation for young farmers from 3 % to 6 %, but without any binding measures at this stage – something the EESC deeply regrets, especially given the drastic and unacceptable reduction in the next CAP budget.

3.4.

The EESC also reiterates the importance of ensuring consistency with the simplification proposals, both within the CAP framework and beyond its scope. The administrative burdens on farmers are unacceptable and must be reduced in order to facilitate the transition measures between generations.

4. Access to skills

4.1.

In order to address economic, social and environmental crises, it is essential to facilitate and promote access to skills and lifelong training for farmers and farm workers, particularly given they are required to constantly adapt. The EESC calls for initial training and continuous learning processes to be promoted.

Initial training

4.2.

In some Member States, agricultural education stands out for being overseen by the Ministry of Agriculture and for delivering excellent exam success and employment outcomes.

4.3.

Encouraging school pupils to choose initial training pathways that match the needs and expectations of both the agricultural sector and young people will require enhancing the appeal of agricultural education, not only in terms of its content but also in the way it is delivered, while also adapting it to respond to current and future changes.

4.4.

Beyond this group, initial training also concerns people in career transitions, whose numbers are steadily increasing. Indeed, pathways into farming have become more complex: the children of farmers may pursue careers in other sectors before taking over a farm; some farm workers can take over farms themselves; farm takeovers increasingly take place outside the family circle; and people without an agricultural background may wish to devote part – or even a significant part – of their career to the sector (8).

4.5.

To address these challenges, the EESC calls for the following action to be taken (9).

—	for training pathways to be redesigned and enhanced by expanding the range of programmes and making access to higher qualifications easier;

—	for flexible courses to be developed by proposing transition pathways between agricultural and general education;

—

for a forward-looking analysis of occupations and skills to be launched at Member State level to guide and accelerate the revision of certification content, taking into account the diversity of profiles and strengthening, in particular, management, soft skills, training and practical field experience;

—	for the attractiveness of the professional education system to be enhanced through modernisation, quality assurance and the development of mobility and cooperation, so that it enjoys a level of recognition equivalent to higher education;

—	for work-study programmes, which are essential to the attractiveness of agricultural professions, to be maintained, developed and promoted while preserving dedicated funding and employer support;

—	for agricultural education establishments and young farmers’ organisations to be supported, ensuring they have balanced and sustainable access to resources.

4.6.

In addition, the EESC stresses the importance of launching a positive communication campaign on agriculture, highlighting its strategic, economic, social and environmental importance and emphasising its successes.

4.7.

The EESC believes that agricultural and food education should be introduced from primary school onward (lessons, visits, learning about the sector) in order to raise awareness of agricultural and food-related professions and challenges.

4.8.

It is essential to bring the farming community and the general public closer together. Agriculture requires better public awareness to recognise farmers’ expertise, enable informed choices and strengthen confidence in the European agri-food model.

4.9.

Early education, stable employment and a strong economic position foster generational renewal and contribute to the future of agriculture, as well as to the demographic and economic stability of rural areas.

Continuous training

4.10.

Continuous training, which is essential for the sustainability and adaptation of farms, must be identifiable, accessible, regular and effective. The EESC recommends:

—	creating, in each Member State, a digital platform run by a certified training body, bringing together all training opportunities available to farm holders and farm workers and making them easier to locate, supported by nationwide promotional campaigns;

—	establishing, in those Member States that do not yet have them, pooled funds for continuous training, following the example of France, which in 2001 set up the Fund for the Training of Life Entrepreneurs (Vivéa);

—

encouraging farmers to take part in the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme, giving them the opportunity to learn from farms in other countries and helping to drive changes in farming practices and the diversification of production. At the same time, the Erasmus+ programme must be strengthened in order to reach the 12 % participation target by 2030 set within the framework of the European Education Area.

5. Access to finance

The CAP

5.1.

In the face of the massive wave of retirements in the agricultural sector, which will increase in the coming years, there is an urgent need to provide a strong incentive to set up farms, especially for young people. Beyond ring-fencing the share of the EU budget devoted to intergenerational renewal at 6 % of the CAP budget, which should be needs-based, the EESC believes that the next CAP programming must involve consolidating existing tools and improving their complementarity (10), focusing on:

—	the fundamental principle of making this rate of 6 % a minimum and mandatory;

—	the possibility of receiving capital grants – since investment aid has a greater impact on farms than per-hectare aid, it should be reinforced;

—	strengthening the amount of the complementary income support for young farmers (CISYF) to ensure a minimum income that enables risk-taking and investment;

—	strengthening the amount of start-up support (or young farmer grants) to support the development of viable, liveable, sustainable and transferable projects;

—	arranging personal support for transferors during the farm transfer process;

—	introducing a ‘minimum turnover’ requirement, to be set at Member State level, which is essential for safeguarding the future farmer’s activity;

—	integrating young farmers into the governance of the CAP.

5.2.

The EESC also points out the importance of risk management aid in view of the various economic, geopolitical, health and climate pressures on the agricultural sectors, which have a very direct impact on production capacities. The CAP is an essential tool for securing income and production. It must help prevent risks by strengthening the financing of prevention and protection mechanisms, and by compensating for losses caused by climatic, health, environmental and economic risks and events.

5.3.

The EESC also believes it necessary to improve and promote, at Member State level, the use of the 3 % from direct payments which can be used as contributions for farmers to the risk management instrument. It should improve agricultural mutual funds for health and environmental risks initiatives (11).

5.4.

Finally, at EU level, the EESC supports the increase in the agricultural crisis reserve, as a coherent European crisis management tool (12).

The provisions of the CMO and other national regulations

5.5.

The EESC reaffirms the crucial role of contracts and welcomes the October 2025 revision of the CMO rules making contracts between producers and buyers mandatory across the EU – a measure that is vital for rebalancing trade relations within sectors (with the exception of the cereals sector, which is subject to highly volatile global markets). This reform, based on taking production costs into account and strengthening collective bargaining (13), is in line with national approaches such as France’s EGAlim laws and the Spanish Food Chain Law.

5.6.

The EESC also highlights the role of cooperatives and producer organisations as key entry points for producers, enabling them to access collective bargaining and contractual agreements. For those Member States in which these organisations are not sufficiently developed, the EESC recommends introducing financial support for this purpose.

Financial products

5.7.

The EESC calls for farmers’ investment capacity, which is crucial for setting up, to be supported with simple, adapted and non-bureaucratic financial instruments, in connection with financial products offered by banks but also others (grants, investment funds, calls of expression of interest, calls for projects, etc.) (14). This would be in line with the Commission’s proposal to work with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to develop guarantee schemes and/or interest rate subsidies. The EESC nevertheless points out that although this type of financial product helps to lessen the impact of the challenges facing farmers, it is important to promote a combined approach drawing on a range of levers, including access to finance.

6. Access to land: Preserving and facilitating access to agricultural land

6.1.

Preserving and facilitating access to agricultural land to foster intergenerational renewal and food sovereignty is crucial for preserving our European agricultural model. As the Commission Representation in France points out: ‘while many older farmers own their land, younger generations are often confined to tenancy, operating around 15 million hectares as tenants compared with 10 million as owners. Access to land... remain[s] [a] major barrier for young farmers’ (15).

6.2.

Nevertheless, for the EESC, it remains important to also facilitate access to land rental, including through tax incentives for landowners who lease to young people. This exemption should also apply to young farmers and to farmers transferring their holding to young people, during the first five years following the transfer. The EESC highlights the effectiveness of long-term lease contracts, which work particularly well in some Member States, such as France. It also supports the Commission’s proposal to create a European Land Observatory to improve transparency, inform policymaking, prevent speculation and facilitate access to land for new entrants (16).

6.3.

Furthermore, the EESC highlights the crucial role of regional land authorities known as ‘SAFERs’ (Sociétés d'Aménagement Foncier et d'Etablissement Rural), which are private companies engaged in public service functions that help regulate access to agricultural land. In the event of a land sale, the SAFER can choose the end buyer or revise the sale price. In such cases, aiding the start-up of young farmers remains a key priority in the allocation or reassignment of land (17).

6.4.

Effective public mechanisms can be put in place to make it easier to access agricultural land – for example by identifying and bringing back into use abandoned or under-used land, encouraging intergenerational land transfer programmes, and creating transparent tools that better match land supply with demand. It is essential to ensure effective access to land – not only in economic terms but also in terms of quality, size and production capacity – so that young farmers and professional farmers can establish viable and sustainable agricultural projects.

7. Access to a fair standard of living in rural areas

7.1.

Rural areas possess many assets, resources and potential. All too often, however, public debate confines them to issues of nature, the environment and quality of life, relegating their productive role, project leaders and entrepreneurs to the background. The EESC supports, and calls for continued work on, the ‘Long-term Vision for the EU’s Rural Areas up to 2040’, which notably highlights measures to strengthen EU policies and support for rural areas in the future.

7.2.

Rural development can only be sustainable in the long term if agricultural producers play a key role. This requires jobs based on orderly employment relationships and real job creation. The EESC calls for tax breaks for companies offering services, as they make a significant contribution to employment in the regions.

7.3.

As the French National Federation of Farmers’ Unions (FNSEA) reminds us in its Manifesto for Vibrant Rural Areas: ‘the entire challenge of the socio-economic development of rural areas lies in our collective ability to respond individually to the specific realities of each territory. … Rural inhabitants, like urban ones, must be able to undertake initiatives and develop, make a living from their work, be independent, respond to demand and contribute to the dynamism and sustainable management of our territories’ (18).

7.4.

Contractual jobs, predictable working conditions and secure livelihoods are in the common interest of workers, farmers, rural communities and vulnerable groups. These conditions create a stable environment that can attract younger generations to agriculture and foster intergenerational renewal in the sector. The EESC underlines the importance of an inclusive and holistic approach. Farmers face multiple sources of stress, demanding working hours and, at times, isolation, and the impact on their mental health can be severe.

7.5.

Rural development covers a wide variety of needs. To ensure a fair standard of living and quality of life in rural areas – a prerequisite for intergenerational renewal – as well as the ‘right to stay’ (19), the EESC stresses the need for Member States to facilitate everyday life by (20):

—	strengthening essential services and reception conditions (housing, mobility, quality and speed of digital connectivity (minimum 100 Mbit/s), etc.) to support dynamic economic activity;

—	adapting public policies to the needs of rural workers and entrepreneurs, who are often less well served than in urban areas;

—	identifying and coordinating existing services to make it easier for newcomers to set up in the area and highlight local assets (transport, health, associations, shops, etc.), as well as public support measures;

—	supporting and strengthening LEADER and CLLD programmes, which mobilise local resources according to the strategic priorities of each area. This also means targeting support for setting up farms more effectively;

—	implementing the rural-proofing test when designing and reviewing policies, to ensure that they are tailored to the needs of those who live and work in rural areas.

7.6.

The EESC considers it essential for all Member States to set up effective farm support and replacement labour systems. Some already have a scheme based on their national social security system. If this is not possible, the Commission should ensure that such a system is implemented under the CAP.

8. Succession support and retirement

8.1.

Facilitating the establishment and transfer of businesses in rural areas is essential. The Commission has been able to demonstrate that investments increase at farm level if a successor has been found, but decrease otherwise. For the EESC, several measures should be put in place at Member State level (21):

—	shortening processing times and reducing administrative burdens for entrepreneurs in rural areas (through a one-stop shop for economic actors);

—	simplifying, harmonising and speeding up procedures for obtaining operating authorisations and the permits required to set up, build or take over a farm, establishing binding administrative deadlines and ensuring that the award criteria are transparent;

—

improving the arrangements for the transfer of agricultural holdings and introducing a guide to good practice. In the Netherlands, a mechanism (Landgilde) allows farmers selling their farm without a successor to be put in touch with potential candidates; In Hungary, a sector-specific legal framework introduced in 2023 regulates generational succession and the transfer of agricultural holdings, ensuring the continuity of their operations;

—	creating a guarantee and support scheme for young entrepreneurs to provide economic security for their farming projects during the start-up phase;

—	establishing a local training offer through the creation of a retraining programme, with needs identified in collaboration with local stakeholders.

8.2.

The fate of young farmers is closely linked to that of all farmers; they should be considered as part of the same whole. The EESC emphasises the importance of intergenerational renewal and of a secure, fair pension system adapted to agricultural careers, which are often marked by irregular incomes. These systems, which fall under the responsibility of the Member States, vary considerably from one country to another. In several Member States, agricultural pensions remain among the lowest. The EESC questions the relevance of incorporating these issues into the European Semester.

8.3.

Current inheritance and pension systems sometimes delay the transfer of farms. The EESC greatly regrets the lack of ambition in the Commission’s strategy and recommends the following be made mandatory:

—	inheritance and pension schemes that ensure a dignified retirement and a secure handover;

—	the reintroduction of an early retirement scheme, as existed in Finland until 2018. The EESC does not understand how such an effective policy could be abolished;