"The Vision for Agriculture and Food of the European Commission is a priority initiative to ensure fair incomes for farmers, provide robust support for young farmers, and revise the Unfair Trading Practices Directive. Farmers play a crucial role in safeguarding food security, sovereignty, and rural cohesion across Europe. Agriculture is therefore a highly strategic sector. With this opinion, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) seeks to underscore the importance of strengthening the regional dimension within the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and simplifying administrative procedures," stated Joke Schauvliege (BE/EPP), member of the Provincial Executive of East Flanders and rapporteur on the CoR vision for agriculture and food.
Presenting here opinion during the CoR plenary sessions she added: "It is important that we do not become dependent on others. Supporting rural areas is also crucial. We need to back our farmers so they can invest in sustainability."
As the CAP post-2027 is expected to undergo significant reform under the upcoming EU long-term budget (Multiannual Financial Framework - MFF), concerns are emerging over proposals to centralize budget control at the national level by merging funds and reallocating resources. Local and regional representatives advocate for enhanced cooperation across all levels of governance and for a prominent role of regions in shaping CAP policies. This, they argue, is essential to address local needs effectively while ensuring fair competition.
While welcoming the European Commission’s proposal to better target public support for vulnerable farmers—including those facing natural constraints or launching new ventures—the CoR opinion, drafted by Schauvliege, goes further. It calls for additional amendments to the common market organisation to ensure that farmers receive prices that at least cover their production costs. It also recommends reducing bureaucracy and establishing fairer market regulations. The opinion stresses that farmers and stockbreeders must remain central to EU agricultural policies and urge stronger regional involvement in building a resilient, fair, and sustainable agri-food system by 2040 that reflects territorial needs.
On rural development, regions and cities call for improved coordination of EU funds and greater backing for community-led initiatives. They advocate for ambitious policies that promote sustainable food systems with active involvement from local authorities, supported by robust environmental and social measures.
