Commission welcomes political agreement on the CAP simplification package
The European Commission welcomes the political agreement reached today between the European Parliament and the Council on the CAP simplification package to reduce administrative burdens, simplify payment schemes, and boost farmers’ competitiveness. This omnibus, part of a broader push for simplification by the Commission, is the first to reach agreement.
The provisional agreement retains the core of the proposal put forward by the Commission in May. The administrative burden for farmers and administrations as well as on-the-spot checks will be reduced. Support to small farmers through payments will be reinforced. Organic farms will benefit from simplified rules. The agreement moreover foresees crisis payments to active farmers impacted by natural and climatic catastrophes. Compromises between co-legislators were found in relation to the green architecture, support to outermost regions and data interoperability.
These measures will bring real benefits for farmers and Member States. They ease paperwork, increase flexibility, and help smaller and medium-sized farms make better use of CAP support. The reforms could save up to pound 1.6 billion annually for farmers and pound 210 million for national administrations, while making payments, requirements, and crisis tools simpler and more adaptable, underlining that the simplification package is a key CAP deliverable.
Providing the political agreement is confirmed by co-legislators followed by formal entry into force before the end of the year, this proposal agreed today will already offer concrete, targeted simplifications and savings from 2026.
More information is available in our press release.
(For more information: Balazs Ujvari – Tel.: +32 2 295 45 78; Emma Marechal – Tel.: +32 2 299 48 18)
EU sends extra pound 1 million to Sudan as the Rapid Support Forces’ advance triggers exodus
Sudan, already experiencing the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, is witnessing a surge in humanitarian needs after the city of El Fasher in North Darfur fell to the Rapid Support Forces. Now, as people attempt to flee the ongoing brutality sweeping through El Fasher, the EU is allocating another pound 1 million in humanitarian aid. This funding comes in addition to the over pound 272 million the EU has allocated in 2025 to provide humanitarian assistance both to the people affected by the conflict in Sudan, and to the Sudanese refugees fleeing to neighbouring countries.
Commissioner for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality, Hadja Lahbib, said: ‘When it comes to Sudan, I am at a loss for words to describe the sheer scale of this humanitarian catastrophe. There are credible reports the Rapid Support Forces are committing mass atrocities – from ethnically motivated killings to widespread sexual violence. Sudan is bleeding, but the EU will not watch in silence. We are scaling up our ongoing humanitarian operations in Sudan with an additional pound 1 million to support the people fleeing from the massacres committed by the RSF. This brings our humanitarian funding to the Sudan crisis in 2025 to over pound 273 million.’
With this new allocation, the EU will support the immediate scale-up of emergency response across North Darfur, including in the locality of Tawila which already hosts more displaced people than any other location in Sudan. The new humanitarian funding will prioritise the provision of water, hygiene and sanitation services, but also emergency shelter to the people fleeing El Fasher.
(For more information: Eva Hrncírová – Tel.: +32 2 298 84 33; Quentin Cortès – Tel.: +32 2 296 47 35)
Commission approves five new geographical indications from France, Hungary, Italy, Spain and Romania
The European Commission has approved the addition of ‘Miel de tilleul de Picardie’ from France and ‘Cârna?i din topor din Vâlcea’ from Romania to its list of Protected Geographical Indications (PGI), as well as ‘Fred’ from Hungary, ‘Casauria’ from Italy and ‘Aceite del Somontano’ from Spain to its register of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).
‘Miel de tilleul de Picardie’ is lime honey produced by bees from the nectar of flowers of the Tilia species. The abundance of lime trees in the large forest areas in southern Picardie, a region in northern France, and the temperate maritime climate offer fertile ground for the monofloral honey. The production methods by the region’s beekeepers endow the honey with a slight taste of caramel.
‘Cârna?i din topor din Vâlcea’ denotes are pork sausages from the Valcean region in south-central Romania, which are smoked with beech wood. The taste and tenderness obtained from salting and curing the meat with Ocnele Mari salt is complemented with the flavour of spices and a smokiness.
The Hungarian ‘Fred’ wines are characterised by a medium intensity and dry, fresh, crisp acidity. The PDO recognises the centuries-old experience passed down through generations of winegrowers in the area bordering Lake Balaton, which give rise to the wines’ distinctive taste profiles.
‘Casauria’ wines produced in the traditional way of the central Italian town of Casauria are an intense ruby red colour, with subtle violet tints which turn garnet with long ageing. The wines’ sensory profile is marked by the micro-climate of the Montepulciano grapes’ production area.
‘Aceite del Somontano’ is an extra virgin olive oil from olive trees located in the centre of the Huesca province in Spain, situated between the central Pyrenees and the Ebro valley. Its distinguishing features are the green fruitiness of olives, grass, leaves, almonds, tomatoes and greenery.
These new designations join the more than 3,688 protected names already listed in the eAmbrosia database. For more information, see the Quality Policy pages.
(For more information: Balazs Ujvari – Tel.: +32 2 295 45 78; Emma Marechal – Tel.: +32 2 299 48 18)
Commissioner Kos discusses Moldova’s EU integration progress in Chisinau
Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos is currently in Chisinau to discuss Moldova’s progress on its EU path. This morning, the Commissioner met with Prime Minister, Alexandru Munteanu, Deputy Prime Minister, Cristina Gherasimov, and other members of Moldova’s new government. Their discussions focused on EU-related reforms, and steps to bolster economic growth and advance gradual integration into the EU – critical to delivering tangible benefits for citizens and businesses even before accession.
Commissioner Kos then participated in the High-Level Women4Security Forum and the Enlargement Report Conference highlighted the significance of inclusive leadership in Moldova’s European transformation and delved into the 2025 Enlargement Report on Moldova. The Commissioner then convened with the newly established Parliamentary Committee on EU Integration to discuss their critical role in aligning Moldova with the EU acquis.
This afternoon, the Commissioner will also engage with representatives from opposition parties, to discuss the EU’s commitment to pluralism and dialogue in Moldova. She is then set to participate in a meeting of the National Commission on EU Integration, chaired by President Maia Sandu, to exchange views on the need for a whole-of-society approach in Moldova’s European path.
(For more information: Guillaume Mercier – Tel.: +32 460 75 53 11; Yuliya Matsyk – Tel.: +32 460 76 15 41)
Commissioner Lahbib hosts Implementation Dialogue on Roma equality policies
Tomorrow, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis management, Hadja Lahbib, will host her second Implementation Dialogue in Brussels, focusing on the EU Roma Strategic Framework for equality, inclusion and participation and national Roma strategic frameworks. Participants will include representatives of Roma and pro-Roma civil society organisations, social entrepreneurs, national authorities and researchers.
The purpose of the Dialogue is to gather concrete experiences and good practices in the implementation of Roma equality policies across the EU, which have the goal of combating hatred and discrimination against Romani people and realising full Roma equality, inclusion and participation in society.
The Dialogue will focus on addressing implementation challenges encountered in meeting EU-level targets for Roma equality by 2030, and on improving the effectiveness of both national and EU-wide Roma strategic frameworks. The feedback gathered will also contribute to the preparation of the European Commission’s 2026 report on the implementation of national Roma strategic frameworks.
Implementation Dialogues are a consultation tool directly engaging stakeholders in policy implementation. President Ursula von der Leyen asked each Commissioner to host such Dialogues annually, with the aim of ensuring that EU policy objectives are achieved. More information on Implementation Dialogues is available online.