On Wednesday 11 February, organisations from the EU’s agri-food chain called on European leaders to place agriculture at the heart of the European competitiveness agenda (see other news).
A number of farming organisations have issued a statement emphasising the strategic role of the sector for the EU’s economy, food security and resilience in an unstable geopolitical context. They argue that the agri-food value chain generates over €1 trillion in gross value added and is a pillar of Europe’s strategic autonomy.
The EU’s agricultural sector is under severe pressure linked to global uncertainty, regulatory complexity and outdated rules. These constraints are holding back investment, innovation and the transition expected by society, according to these organisations.
The signatories of the declaration are calling for a genuine simplification of the rules, a reduction in the administrative burden and greater legal predictability. The organisations also stress the key role of agriculture in the bioeconomy and the need to reduce dependencies on fossil-based and imported inputs. Finally, they are calling for investment to guarantee agricultural productivity, generational renewal and access to food.
Link to the statement: https://aeur.eu/f/koj (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)