Like Mixing Oil and Water: Integrating One Health into the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy

This chapter explores the integration of the One Health (OH) approach into the European Union’s agri-food legal and policy framework, focusing on the 2023–2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). It does so within the broader context of the European Green Deal and its Farm to Fork Strategy, which aim to steer the EU toward sustainable agri-food systems. OH has gained global prominence, especially among intergovernmental organizations, but its implementation in the context of agri-food policy and legislation remains limited, even though the transition to sustainable agri-food systems is one of the most critical challenges of our time, and one of the most complex issues that would benefit from a holistic approach to health. The chapter traces the evolution of OH in EU policy, from its origins in antimicrobial resistance to its potential role in advancing sustainability. It evaluates the extent to which OH principles are reflected in the CAP Regulation (EU) 2021/2115, by analysing its objectives, conditionality systems, and incentives related to sustainable agricultural practices. The analysis concludes that, although the CAP incorporates various OH-related measures, such as provisions concerning animal welfare and biodiversity, it does not adopt OH as a unifying legal or policy basis. In fact, the integration of OH remains fragmented and superficial, hindered by conflicting policy objectives, inconsistent implementation, and a lack of legal clarity. For OH to truly serve as a guiding principle in EU agri-food law, it must be embedded through coherent legal tools, cross-sectoral coordination and inclusive governance mechanisms.