EU plans new subsidies for farmers to save water, draft shows Subsidies could help farmers pay for more drought-resistant crops16 May 2025 16 May 2025 2 minute read 2 minute read By: By: Global Ag MediaThe European Commission has drafted plans to offer new subsidies to farmers who invest in wasting less water, when the bloc's huge farming subsidy programme is renewed, a draft Commission proposal, seen by Reuters, showed. The European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of farming subsidies is worth around 387 billion euros, around about a third of the bloc's overall budget for 2021-2027. The subsidies could help farmers pay for more drought-resistant crops, or precision irrigation tools that waste less water than traditional irrigation systems. The European Commission on Wednesday proposed weakening environmental conditions on existing EU farming subsidies, as part of plans to cut bureaucracy for farmers. A European Commission spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the draft, which is due to be published in June.