Agriculture was a key player in the European elections, often cited by candidates and highlighted in party posters. From the experience of Farm to Fork, to the crises that have shaken Europe and the significant agricultural protests this year, a consensus emerged: agriculture is one of the three pillars of the EU’s strategic autonomy, together with energy and defence. How the EU will address these three critical areas over the next five years will be crucial for its future. The presidents of Copa and Cogeca, respectively Christiane Lambert and Lennart Nilsson. 

The two issues one point out in an official statement that "during the previous legislature, Copa and Cogeca have often warned against the rather dismissive attitude of the Commission towards agriculture. We are therefore pleased to see today this strategic vision prevail -confirm Lambert and Nilsson-. We are particularly encouraged by the renewed interest of the political groups in the presidency of the Agriculture Committee and in the role of Commissioner for Agriculture".

If there is still need to reiterate, add the two president, "European agriculture is an incredibly relevant issue, at the crossroads of all the EU’s main priorities: food security, combating climate change and biodiversity loss, carbon sequestration, promoting the bio/circular economy, renewable energy, rural development or trade policy, everything is related to agriculture. As if we were to remind newly elected politicians, our agricultural model, with its great diversity and its model of resilient family agriculture, is an important resource that must be strengthened".

"Despite being essential and strategic, our agriculture remains fragile -reiterates the note of Copa and Cogeca-. The challenges it faces in the medium term are existential. How can we promote the necessary climate and environmental transitions while preserving the competitiveness of our agriculture? How to balance the circularity of our agriculture with livestock? How can we maintain our capacity for innovation in areas such as NGT, biocontrol, water management and fertilisation? How can we strengthen our strategic autonomy in an increasingly complex and challenging geopolitical context? Our ability to answer these questions will determine our ability to ensure the critical need for generational renewal".

"While agriculture is currently in the spotlight, a certain paradox has emerged -explains the official statement-. Despite the intentions expressed by the political parties during the election campaign, we have not yet seen convincing and innovative political responses to the difficulties and concerns raised during the agricultural protests. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has managed to provide short-term answers by proposing simplifications to the new CAP and launching an ambitious ground work with the launch of the strategic dialogue on the future of European agriculture. All this is good. However, we expect more words and action for agriculture in the next term".

"Therefore -continues the joint statement of the Copa and Cogeca-, we will listen carefully to the speech that Ursula von der Leyen will hold Thursday in front of the parliamentarians just gathered in Strasbourg. We foresee, just like his last speech on the State of the Union in 2023, a special focus on agricultural issues and the introduction of the first milestones".

"Therefore -continues the joint statement of the Copa and Cogeca-, we will listen carefully to the speech that Ursula von der Leyen will hold Thursday in front of the parliamentarians just gathered in Strasbourg. We foresee, just like his last speech on the State of the Union in 2023, a special focus on agricultural issues and the introduction of the first milestones".

"In our opinion -add the two president Lambert and Nilsson-, some elements are essential to restore a strategic vision of our agriculture. At this point, European farmers and cooperatives are asking to be reassured about some commitments made during the campaign, in particular regarding the allocation and size of the EU agriculture budget. We cannot expect farmers to do more if we leave them in uncertainty about funding for our EU objectives. In this regard, it would be a missed opportunity to reduce funding for promotion policy, which is one of the EU’s major successes".

"We need -Copa and Cogeca specify-, greater political coherence, in particular between our environmental ambitions on the internal market and our trade policy. In this regard, any push to continue the EU-Mercosur agreement in the initial phase of the mandate would send a negative political signal. As for Ukraine, while supporting its war effort, EU farmers should not be left to bear part of the burden of trade liberalisation or potential enlargement. It is also essential to continue the evaluation and simplification efforts launched in 2024, starting for example from the extremely complex and impractical regulation on deforestation".

"On this clear basis and with the support of a Commissioner for Agriculture with a central role in the future college -continues the official note from Brussels-, we can consider a number of new reforms to improve in particular the position of farmers in the value chain, with a directive on unfair commercial practices 2.0, and the renewal of agricultural generations. We could support European strategies in key areas such as livestock farming, fertilisers or water". 

"Finally -the note concludes- it is essential to pay new attention to agricultural cooperatives, which are key players in our transitions and which have so far been neglected in most debates and in the political groups' roadmaps. The coming months will be crucial in converting campaign intentions into strong and concrete actions. Since the 2024 harvests already seem challenging, the expectations of the whole profession are numerous".