EC political guidelines: new Vision for Agriculture and Food
On 18 July, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the new Political Guidelines for the next European Commission 2024 – 2029 at the European Parliament, ahead of her re-election for her 2nd term.
She referred to the wider agri-food sector as a “strategic asset” which “means Europe is vital for global food security”.
She referred to the expected report of the Strategic Dialogue on Agriculture and announced a new “Vision for Agriculture and Food” during the first 100 days “looking at how to ensure long-term competitiveness and sustainability of our farming sector within the boundaries of our planet”.
She pointed out that the EC will “support the competitiveness of the entire food value chain through investment and innovation on farms, cooperatives, in our agrifood businesses and many SMEs in the sector”. She announced a new EU Competitiveness fund as part of a new plan for Europe’s sustainable prosperity and competitiveness announcing massive investment in research and innovation as part of “building a clean industrial deal” and an approach to competition policy.
She also referred to trade as the second pillar of the EC’s economic foreign policy, seeking to continue to deepen our free and fair trade links with growth centres around the world, ensuring reciprocity and a level playing field, noting the need to improve rules-based trade, including through a reformed and strengthened World Trade Organisation;
In cooperation with COPA-COGECA, which publicly welcomed the new EC political guidelines, FEFAC and other EU agri-food chain partners agreed to meet on 23 July 2024 to explore joint approaches to ensure that the wider agrifood chain partner can “link -up” with new EC policy tools and programmes on competitiveness and industrial policy and contribute to building the “new vision on Agriculture and food”.
“We welcome the new EC political guidelines 2024 – 2029 on presenting a new vision for the agriculture & food sector. The feed industry is ready to strengthen the competitiveness of the EU livestock sector and agri-food chain, by driving innovation towards circular feed resources and implementing climate-smart feed solutions” said FEFAC President Pedro Cordero
FEFAC President Pedro Cordero referred to FEFAC’s 12 key recommendations on the EU strategic agenda 2024 – 2029, highlighting FEFAC’s commitment to improving the competitiveness of the livestock economy and the transition to more sustainable production systems.