Posted on May, 12 2025

Wetlands and peatlands are vital ecosystems that deserve protection, not only for their rich biodiversity, but also for their role in reducing flood risks, mitigating water scarcity, filtering pollutants, and protecting farmers and their fields from the impacts of climate change. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for 2023-2027 introduced a new standard, the Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions (GAEC) 2, focused on wetlands and peatlands to safeguard their carbon-rich soils. The maintenance of existing wetlands and peatlands on farmland is vital for the proper functioning of agri-ecosystems and protection of livelihoods.

With the GAEC 2, Member States now have a starting point legislation, aimed at preventing further destruction of these habitats. The implementation and enforcement of this standard should be strengthened and not weakened by the upcoming CAP simplification package, expected in May 2025. Its weakening would not only jeopardise the achievement of the EU environmental, climate and agricultural objectives, but would also undermine the level playing field between Member States, penalising farmers in those Member States that introduced and applied the GAEC 2 on time. Despite being framed as simplification, the proposed changes risk introducing new rules midway through the CAP period, running counter to farmers’ demands for a stable and predictable regulatory framework

This policy brief synthesises findings on the GAEC 2’s implementation and effectiveness in 16 Member States with the view to improving its application on the ground and ensure that farmers are adequately supported in protecting these vital habitats.