The latest Eurobarometer survey shows that support for the EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP) has reached an all-time high. Not only has public awareness of the CAP reached its highest level since 2007, but also more than 70% of respondents agree that, through the CAP, the EU is successfully fulfilling its role in providing safe, healthy, and sustainable high-quality food.
The survey also reveals a strong appreciation for farmers among EU citizens as 92% say that, in the EU, agriculture and rural areas are important for our future, with 52% considering them ‘very important’. More than half (56%) indicate that the level of EU financial support to farmers to help stabilise their income is right.
Additionally, an overwhelming majority of respondents agreed on the importance of several key issues: securing a stable supply of food in the EU at all times (94%), ensuring reasonable food prices for consumers (92%), ensuring sustainable management of natural resources (91%), and strengthening the farmer’s role in the food chain (90%).
Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, Christophe Hansen, said: “I am delighted that EU citizens are showing unprecedented awareness and support for the Common Agricultural Policy. It has become a real building block of European integration and shows the importance of farmers and agriculture in our society. Our citizens trust our policies to help farmers provide safe food, adopt environmentally-friendly practices and boost employment in rural areas. This is a real European success story, shaping a sustainable future for all.”
This is the eighth Eurobarometer survey on ‘Europeans, Agriculture and the CAP’, conducted in all 27 EU Member States between 13 June and 8 July 2024. 26,349 respondents from different social and demographic groups were interviewed in their national language.
More information is available in a press release online.
