How information shapes policy reforms: the role of interest groups in the CAP 2023-2027 reform

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is at a tipping point. Its traditional role of support for farmers and the agricultural sector is challenged by the increasing demands for radical change towards a more holistic and sustainability-centered approach. In this context, EU interest groups use budgetary constraints and external crises to shift the debate in the European institutions towards a more conservative or reformative direction. Considering the central position of interest groups in representing the demands from civil society, as well as in providing information to decision makers, this paper investigates their role in shaping policy reforms. In particular, it studies how the information exchange between interest groups and the European Commission influenced the drafting of the proposal for the new CAP regulation. Traditionally, interest groups have a strong and mutually beneficial relation with the European Commission. Yet, the increased role of new policy actors, such as the DG ENV and the European Parliament, is changing the dynamics of this relationship. Using a discursive institutionalist lens, this contribution examines how information and ideas interact and generate alternative ways to look at agricultural issues, as well as new policy solutions. The study combines the analysis of relevant documentation and interviews with interest groups’ and Commission’s representatives to unveil the mechanisms whereby information and ideas interact and influence each other, shaping the scope of policy reforms. Understanding these mechanisms has fundamental implications for the transparency and accountability of the democratic process.