Can the CAP Deliver a Green Transition in Baltic, Central and Eastern Europe?

Summary

The 2023–2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is presented by the European Commission as a key instrument for supporting the green transition in agriculture across the Baltic, Central and Eastern European (BCEE) region. However, its effectiveness remains uneven. While CAP instruments can support biodiversity conservation, nutrient management, and rural sustainability, their impact is constrained by fragmented farm structures, administrative complexity, and differences in national implementation. In practice, area‐based payments continue to favour larger farms, limiting smaller farms’ participation in green measures. As a result, the CAP serves not only as an environmental policy but also as a significant distributional instrument. Achieving a more effective transition will require simpler eco‐schemes, stronger advisory support, and more targeted measures to improve smallholders’ access to CAP support.