This report, co-authored by Aaron Scheid from Ecologic Institute, summarises the results of a series of assessments of the climate and environmental ambition of the Common Agricultural Policy's (CAP) Strategic Plans. It is based on the detailed study of four Member States (France, Spain, Poland and Germany).

The analysis suggests that, while the new CAP structure provides more flexibility to Member States, countries did not take this opportunity to significantly increase support for environmental and climate action. Overall, most of the funding still funds economic objectives and there are several mismatches between the needs identified and the proposed interventions, in particular in relation to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Finally, it was found that some interventions continue to support the most intensive and most environmentally damaging farms.

The authors of the briefing conclude that Member States, that have the possibility to amend their plans once a year, should use this opportunity to raise the ambition in the current CAP programming period and they propose concrete steps in the right direction.