This misuse of funds supports large-scale farming practices that ruin natural habitats and provide little aid for farmers transitioning to sustainable methods. Nearly 60% of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) funds, which total €32.1 billion annually, are spent on these destructive activities. This impressive number roughly amounts to the whole annual spending of national governments such as Croatia and Luxembourg. Additional sectors like fisheries, transport infrastructure, and water infrastructure also significantly contribute to the loss of nature.

With Europe facing a severe cost of living crisis, these findings highlight the urgent need for change. As voters, your voice can influence EU governments to prioritise environmental and social goals. The EU’s biodiversity goals require €48 billion a year to finance activities by farmers, landowners, rural and coastal communities to effectively protect and restore nature—but we're currently falling short by over €18 billion. It's time to repurpose harmful subsidies towards activities that support biodiversity and sustainability, while leaving no-one behind in this transition.

You can read the executive summary here, and the full report here.