The gauntlet was laid down: agriculture has to become greener and younger. With reform finally sealed in Parliament, will it suffice to meet these key challenges?

CAP reform - greener and younger or missed opportunity?

the European Parliament has finalised  one of its biggest dossiers:

the reform of the Common Agricultural  Policy, the CAP, for the period 2014-2020.

The budget allocated to European  agriculture has decreased by almost 10%.

The amount agreed upon for the next  7 years consists of 380 billion euros.

Big farms will no longer profit  from money coming from the CAP.

No more than 300,000 euros  will be allocated from now on.

But Member States have been  allowed great leeway.

There is a real political will and a strong  message from the EP to limit payments

to major beneficiaries  to boost the rural development budget

and ensure there is fairer redistribution  for other farmers and rural areas.

The Greens in the EP  have a completely different opinion.

The CAP that has been voted today allows  inequalities between farmers to persist,

A handful of big agricultural managers  will continue to receive millions

at a time when Europe is going through  unprecedented economic and social crisis.

The new agricultural policy will also  be more in line with the environment.

From now on, 30% of all direct payments  will be linked to sustainable practices

such as the maintenance of permanent  meadows or the diversification of cultures.

But the CAP is supposed to address  other funding issues too.

We are, even more so tomorrow than today,  in need of well-trained and young farmers.

The issue of the renewal  of generations is extremely important

given that today just 6% of farmers  in Europe are below 35.

An additional 25% of financial aid  will be allocated to young farmers

in their first five years of activity  to help them get started.