The EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has integrated environmental protection only in small steps since its inception in 1962. The 2023 reform will initiate a transformation process that will give the CAP a completely new structure. It is rightly called the “green architecture” because of its central orientation. Central elements are conditionality, eco-schemes and agri-environment-climate measures. The green architecture is characterised by the decentralisation of the programmes. The 2023 reform thus sets the course for the future development of the CAP towards a public welfare-oriented support policy. The path to this goal is not yet complete, but the 2023 reform is an important intermediate step.