Special report 09/2026: European innovation partnership in the common agricultural policy. A key tool for innovation in EU agriculture falling short of its full potential

The European innovation partnership for agricultural productivity and sustainability is a key policy tool intended to foster bottom-up, collaborative innovation. We assessed whether the innovation partnership in the common agricultural policy has effectively contributed to innovation in EU agriculture. We found that it is falling short of its full potential due to an insufficient focus on farmers’ needs, a selection process that failed to prioritise projects with innovation potential, and weak dissemination of project results. To address these shortcomings, we recommend improving the partnership’s focus on farmers’ innovation needs, strengthening project selection procedures and enhancing the dissemination of results.