Honourable Members, dear colleagues,
The first 100 days of our mandate were dedicated to delivering on what we promised and doing this in close cooperation with those who are most concerned – the farming and food sector.
Since I became a Commissioner, my “boots on the ground” promise has taken me to 8 Member States. When I speak to farmers, I hear a strong call for stability and predictability, and also for the recognition of the crucial role that farming and rural areas play in Europe’s economy, security and strategic autonomy. Many of you recognise those calls.
In these changing and challenging times, we need a clear perspective and coherent policy responses for everyone involved in guaranteeing our food security and food sovereignty. They need to see that their future will be prosperous.
The Vision for Agriculture and Food, recently adopted by the Commission, aims to provide the direction and response to these needs. It is the Commission’s policy roadmap to engage and take action with you and all stakeholders of the agri-food system on the future of food and farming in Europe.
Our messages are clear:
Farming, fishing and food are strategic sectors and a critical asset for Europe. They must be preserved across the continent. The Vision identifies European food sovereignty as an integral part of the EU’s security agenda.
Our policies will continue supporting farmers and the agri-food sector in producing safe food, protecting rural landscapes, traditions and livelihoods. In Europe, farming is highly diverse and so our policies must be tailored to local needs.
While facing many challenges, farmers, fishers and the food industry are part of the solution for achieving a future-proof agri-food sector. We will design these solutions pragmatically and in consultation with them.
Consultation and dialogue are not just words.
The Vision is the result of close engagement and consultation with many different stakeholders from the agri-food sector and all relevant institutions, including the European Parliament.
The work does not stop here. The Vision is only the beginning of further cooperation and dialogue to develop the key initiatives together. This College is committed to overcoming polarisation.
That is why I am very glad to be with you today to present the Vision and hear your ideas for the way forward.
We started from a simple guiding question: “How to build and support an agri-food system that is attractive for current and future generations – today, tomorrow, and in 2040?”
We want an EU agricultural and food sector to be – and I quote from the Vision itself – “attractive, competitive, future-proof and fair and built on dialogue and partnership between the players of the food chain and powered by innovation, knowledge and research”.
The Vision contains four priority areas to provide direction and stability. For each one, it identifies specific policy responses that focus on all 3 dimensions of sustainability:
First, an attractive and predictable agri-food sector that ensures a fair standard of living and leverages new income opportunities:
For this, we must help the sector draw on all sources of income. We will help farmers to get a better return from the market by addressing the principle that they should not be forced to systematically sell their products below cost. The coming UTP review will be instrumental for achieving this.
Secondly, public support from the CAP remains essential to support farmers’ income. The Commission will make the future CAP support simpler and more targeted towards those farmers who need it most, creating better incentives for eco-system services and giving further responsibility and accountability to Member States. We will also help the sector to leverage new income opportunities, such as from the bioeconomy or carbon farming. Agritourism can also provide farmers with a complementary income.
Furthermore, in 2025, I will present a Strategy for generational renewal that will provide recommendations on how to attract young and new farmers.
Secondly, a competitive and resilient agri-food sector in the face of rising global challenges:
Our farmers insist on fair global competition. The Vision clearly states that we will push for a fairer global level playing field by better aligning, in line with international rules, our domestic production standards with those applied to imports, notably for pesticides and animal welfare.
To advance in this area, in 2025 we will start work on implementing the principle that hazardous pesticides banned in the EU should not be allowed back into the EU via imports. Similarly, the review of animal welfare legislation will take into consideration the need to apply similar standards to EU producers and imports.
The agri-food sector is strongly affected by different crises. We will develop a more comprehensive approach to risk and crisis management, reinforce incentives for farmers to boost farm-level adaptation and improve access to affordable insurance and de-risking tools for primary producers.
Lastly, I want to present two simplification packages in 2025 to reduce the administrative burden for farmers and the entire agri-food value chain. The first will focus on the CAP, while the second will look at other EU legislation.
Another important initiative will be the work that we will carry out for the livestock sector. As the Vision says clearly, livestock remains an essential element of EU agriculture. We will work on making it more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Thirdly, a future-proof agri-food sector that works hand in hand with nature.
To guarantee the sector’s long-term resilience and competitiveness, we need to preserve healthy soils, clean water and air, and the EU’s biodiversity. To support this, we must continue to implement and enforce the legislation that we already have. In the future we must also create better incentives for farmers and agri-food actors who are delivering ecosystem services and make sure that climate and biodiversity action go hand in hand with competitiveness.
For this, there will be some key drivers – such as a more advanced toolbox under the CAP, a voluntary On-Farm Sustainability Compass, certified carbon farming as well as measures to accelerate access of biopesticides to the EU market.
The fourth priority area is about strengthening the link between food and consumers and promoting fair living and working conditions in vibrant and well – connected coastal and rural areas.
Addressing the gap in the availability and affordability of services for citizens in rural and coastal areas, including outermost regions, is key to address the need for an effective ´right to stay´ for all European citizens.
To boost the vitality of these areas and to tackle these issues, we will strengthen synergies between EU funds and present an updated EU Rural Action Plan and Rural Pact.
At the same time, annual Food Dialogues with everyone involved in the food system will help to reconnect people with the food they eat and address many of the most pressing issues, including food reformulation and affordability.
Finally, we will bring knowledge, innovation, research, skills and digital solutions closer to farmers. They will play a key role in supporting the agri-food sector to carry out these initiatives.
This is not the end of the journey. It is only the beginning.
We will work closely with all parties involved – including the European Parliament – to further develop the key issues and initiatives announced in the Vision. We will start with the wine package, simplification proposal, Generational Renewal strategy and the future CAP, all in the coming few months. Other initiatives will expand actions in sector-specific areas such as fishing and aquaculture.
I believe that the Vision helps to provide direction and predictability for Europe’s agri-food system. In addition, it invites discussion on ways to make solutions tailored, territorial and pragmatic.
Let’s continue to work together and build trust and dialogue, which is essential for the success of our endeavours.
Thank you.
Source – EU Commission