On 6–7 October 2025, the Annual Assembly of the Horizon Europe project "Tools4CAP – A toolbox of innovative tools to enable effective management of the CAP to achieve EU objectives" took place in Valladolid, Spain, bringing together project partners to review progress and discuss future directions. The event was attended by Dr. Živilė Gedminaitė-Raudonė, principal researcher at the LCSS Institute of Economics and Rural Development, and Genovaitė Beniulienė, PhD student.
In 2025, twelve case studies were conducted, utilizing innovative quantitative and qualitative tools to enhance the preparation and implementation of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plans in EU Member States. These included studies on experimental economics in France, GLOBIOM in Czechia, CAPRI in Hungary, IOI Matrix in Germany, intervention logic in Ireland, prioritization and decision-making tools in Poland, and policy monitoring in Greece. Additional case studies explored the combination of digital farm book data with CAPRI modelling and the soil organic carbon index in Spain, as well as integrated approaches in the Netherlands and Slovenia.
The assembly highlighted how these methods, when combined, form a structured toolbox for policymakers and stakeholders, supporting evidence-based policymaking for the CAP across the EU. Behavioral and experimental approaches, such as experimental economics, provide insights into farmers’ responses to policy incentives, enabling the anticipation of real-world impacts. Large-scale modelling tools, including GLOBIOM and CAPRI, are used to simulate agricultural, environmental, and economic outcomes of policy scenarios, providing robust support for long-term strategic planning. Policy design, monitoring, and evaluation instruments, such as IOI, intervention logic, and prioritization tools, enable policymakers to structure objectives, select appropriate interventions, allocate resources effectively, and continuously assess policy performance.
In 2026, these results will be presented across EU Member States through meetings with relevant stakeholders to share experiences and encourage knowledge exchange on the application of these innovative methods. A Good Practice Guide will also be developed, providing practical guidelines, examples, and recommendations for policymakers and other stakeholders on how to effectively implement these tools.
The Tools4CAP project (2023-2026) is implemented by a consortium of 14 partners (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain) and 7 associated entities (Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, Slovakia). The project is coordinated by ECORYS (Belgium). The researchers from the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences Institute of Economics and Rural Development take part in the project as associated partners representing the European Rural Development Network.
The ambition of the project is to provide decision-makers with suitable tools for a more evidence-based policy design.
Project implementation team in Lithuania:
Dr. Živilė Gedminaitė-Raudonė, zivile.gedminaite@ekvi.lt
Dr. Rita Lankauskienė, rita.lankauskiene@ekvi.lt
Dr. Rasa Melnikienė, rasa.melnikiene@ekvi.lt
More information on the project website: https://www.tools4cap.eu/