Source: European Parliament
1. To help farmers invest in agricultural machinery, the Commission’s post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) proposals treat on-farm investments as an ongoing priority. Member States would include investment support for farmers and forest holders in their National and Regional Partnership Plans and would be able to fund these investments both from the ring-fenced income support and complement by the non-ring-fenced part of the budget. To ensure efficient use of machinery, the proposals reinforce the digital transition by strengthening knowledge systems and advisory services. Wider use of simplified cost options is also expected to make support more accessible. Beyond the CAP, legal persons within the farming community will benefit from other EU funds, such as the European Competitiveness Fund and the EU Research Framework Programme.
2. The relevant types of intervention currently available under rural development policy — especially for investments[1] and cooperation[2] — allow Member States to support the joint purchase of machinery, according to legal and other arrangements regarding the entities concerned. In specific sectors (e.g. fruit & vegetables, wine), farmers and producer organisations may receive EU financial support for joint purchase of machinery[3]. Member States can also programme stand-alone financial instruments[4] (e.g. loans, guarantees and working capital) or in combination with grants. Finally, Horizon Europe research projects such as Farmtopia[5] and Guardians[6] support small-scale farmers by making digital services more accessible to farmers.