If society is to enjoy food security and environmental protection, a continuation of support to farmers is crucial. This support, however, can only be effective if subsidies are only paid to active farmers. This is one of the key aspects pointed out at the Plenary Session of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), where after hotly debating an opinion on the future of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) was adopted.

As pointed out by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), the Commission's Communication on the future of CAP presented in November 2010, incorporates a number of recommendations that the EESC had set out in its past opinions, but it fails to establish full clarity on links between the post-2013 CAP goals, tools and funding. in view of the Committee, the objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) are much more complex and imply environmental issues, ensuring food security, preserving landscape as well as social issues in  rural areas, said the EESC. It is much more than just the distribution of funding. 

In its debate, the EESC rejected historical reference periods as a basis for calculating the amount of support to farmers, since these were particularly unfavourable to new Member States. The amount of direct payments might instead be set using criteria of per capita, purchasing power and labour costs, suggested the EESC in its hotly debated opinion on the future of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP). It also backed the idea of introducing an upper ceiling per farm for direct payments.  

The EESC came out in favour of linking the amount of support to farmers to the level of public goods and services they deliver to society. These services might concern environmental protection, food security and consumer protection, said the EESC. Subsidies can only be paid to active farmers, furthermore the EESC asked the Commission to draw up a definition of "an active farmer", which would include a requirement for the production and marketing of foodstuff and the creation of public goods and services. 

On the issue of funding the EESC indicated that the current level and structure of funding might not be sufficient and right to reach the goals of Common Agriculture Policy (CAP). Given the demographic structure of agricultural sector in the EU, which was already pointed out by the Parliament in one of its debates over future CAP, where only 7% of farmers are under 35 and one in three is over 65, the EESC reiterated its plea for active policies aimed at encouraging young people to go into farming.