Summary
The Swiss Federal Council has defined the key points of Agricultural Policy 2030+ (AP 30+) in a discussion paper. The reform package focuses on greater scope for action and self-responsibility for the entire agricultural value chain, but avoids the controversial steering levies. The Federal Office for Agriculture will prepare a concrete proposal for public consultation by autumn 2026.
People
- Christian Hofer (BLW Director)
- Guy Parmelin (Federal Councillor)
Topics
- Swiss Agricultural Policy
- Agricultural Reform 2030+
- Agricultural Value Chain
- Regulatory Relief
Clarus Lead
The Federal Council decides on a "paradigm shift" in Swiss agricultural policy: AP 30+ grants farm businesses greater decision-making freedom while also binding the entire value chain to stronger self-responsibility. Particularly noteworthy: controversial steering levies are eliminated – political relief for the industry. The concrete implementation will follow in autumn 2026 through public consultation, allowing stakeholders to exert significant influence.
Detailed Summary
The Federal Office for Agriculture (BLW), under the direction of Director Christian Hofer, has driven forward the strategic reorientation of agricultural policy. With AP 30+, regulation is no longer top-down; instead, agricultural actors are given more room for action. This simultaneously means increased self-responsibility along the entire production and marketing chain – from production to retail.
A key decision is the elimination of steering levies. This instrument was highly controversial within agricultural and political circles, as it was intended to create incentives through taxation of production inputs or outputs. The Federal Council thus follows a more pragmatic path and instead relies on incentives and voluntary measures. The next phase begins in autumn 2026, when the BLW presents the public consultation draft – then associations, cantons, and other stakeholder groups can present their positions.
Key Points
- The Federal Council defines AP 30+ as a paradigm shift away from centralized regulation toward decentralized responsibility
- Steering levies will not be introduced – political compromise instead of confrontational taxation
- The entire value chain bears co-responsibility – not just primary producers
- Concrete implementation follows only after public consultation autumn 2026
- Greater scope for action combined with stronger self-responsibility
Critical Questions
Quality of Evidence: Is the paradigm shift away from steering levies based on empirical studies of their effectiveness, or do political power relationships dominate the decision?
Conflicts of Interest: Who specifically benefits from greater scope for action – technology-savvy large farms or smaller family farms equally?
Causality: Can decentralized responsibility without steering instruments achieve the same sustainability or efficiency goals as a regulated system?
Feasibility: How will the "co-responsibility of the value chain" be legally enforced if not through binding levies or penalties?
Data Gaps: What scenarios has the Federal Council run through to compare the steering effect of voluntary versus regulatory measures?
Risk Distribution: Does agriculture or the state bear the risk if decentralized solutions lead to market failure?
Source List
Primary Source: Evolution Instead of Revolution – AP 30+: Federal Council Decides Against Steering Levies and For the EFZ – BauernZeitung, February 18, 2026
Verification Status: ✓ February 18, 2026
This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial Responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-Check: February 18, 2026