The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a system of European Union agricultural subsidies and programmes. It is funded by EU taxpayers.

The aim of the CAP is to provide farmers with a reasonable standard of living, consumers with quality food at fair prices and to preserve rural heritage.

Compassion in World Farming put forward specific changes to the proposed CAP reforms. Achieving meaningful change to CAP is a notoriously difficult and arduous process, which is why we are so delighted that some of our most significant recommendations have been taken forward.

These changes have been added as amendments to the draft Agriculture Committee report representing a huge step forward, legislatively speaking. Animal welfare now stands a strong chance of being added to the EU's priorities for agriculture. This is great news.

"Improving animal welfare" has been added to the proposed Rural Development Regulation which sets the priorities for CAP spend across the EU.

We are also delighted that animal welfare payments (rewarding those who are making improvements to animal welfare within their systems), which were at risk of being dangerously weakened have been protected in their current form.

We are still fighting for several other improvements to the reform proposals, and continue to engage with DEFRA, the Commission, Member States and the European Parliament.

Emma Slawinski, Senior Campaigns Manager at Compassion, says:"We want CAP to be a tool to move us towards more humane and sustainable farming and these amendments show we are succeeding.

"At Compassion, we are trying to reverse the move away from animal welfare that is proposed in the current round of reforms. It can definitely be seen as a success that our most significant changes have been added. We will keep campaigning for animals' welfare to be at the heart of EU agricultural policy."

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CAP moves towards animal welfare as a priority