Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions on the Vision for Agriculture and Food
Date: 2025-07-02
Institutions: Commission for Natural Resources, European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: EU action, agri-foodstuffs, common agricultural policy, common fisheries policy, competitiveness, farmer, farming sector, green economy, livestock farming, sustainable agriculture








C_202504411EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/4411


29.8.2025






Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions on the Vision for Agriculture and Food
(C/2025/4411)














Rapporteur



:


Joke SCHAUVLIEGE (BE/EPP), Member of the Provincial Executive of East Flanders





Reference document



:



COM(2025) 75 final










POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS (CoR)








1.


calls for farmers and stockbreeders to be placed at the heart of current agricultural policies and for action to be taken to ensure that they are able to continue to operate, addressing challenges such as the lack of generational renewal and the average age of farmers; recognises the vital role that they play to our food security and sovereignty, our cohesion in rural areas, our cultural heritage, as well as to protecting the climate, environment, biodiversity, and our livelihoods;












2.


welcomes the Vision of the European Commission, and in particular its emphasis on agriculture, farming and food, including fisheries, as a strategic sector and the importance of promoting farming as a career choice for future generations, the non-negotiable importance of food security, safety and sovereignty, and the focus on competitiveness and ensuring decent and fair incomes for farmers; underlines that the long-term viability of these objectives also depends on strengthening the sector’s resilience to environmental and climate-related risks;












3.


welcomes the aim of the Commission’s Vision to use the common agricultural policy (CAP) to support an ambitious and future-oriented EU agricultural policy, and the general principle to direct future CAP support more towards farmers who actively engage in sustainable food production and towards the economic vitality of our farms. To this end, a definition is needed of farmers who actively engage in sustainable food production, taking into account the role of environmentally sound practices in preserving the long-term productivity and competitiveness of the sector;












4.


believes that public support provided through the CAP is still essential for farmers’ incomes, making it imperative that the future CAP be robust and independent; also believes it essential that the CAP be equipped with an ample and separate budget drawing from its two pillars, the EAGF and the EAFRD, which would ensure support for farmers’ incomes and for rural areas;












5.


stresses that the ambitious objectives outlined in the Vision can only be achieved through dedicated planning and funding and therefore calls the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to remain a strong, autonomous, and truly common European policy under the next Multiannual Financial Framework. The CAP should continue to be structured around its two pillars — direct payments and rural development — and be endowed with adequate resources to safeguard farmers’ incomes and address the various challenges facing the agricultural sector, from trade wars and climate change adaptation to sustainability and generational renewal;












6.


emphasises that, in order to obtain results from this Vision for Europe’s agri-food system by 2040, there needs to be better alignment not only between national and EU policies but also between local, regional, national and EU policies;












7.


reiterates the important role that farmers can play in carrying out strategic parts of the EU sustainable energy transition and calls for energy production to support agriculture rather than hinder it; however, stresses that legislative changes must be approached with caution to avoid inflationary pressure on land values and increased competition for land use;












8.


encourages the Commission to ensure effective monitoring of how the Vision is implemented by reporting regularly to all EU institutions, including local and regional authorities, on the progress made towards the successful delivery of the various initiatives; recommends making full use of existing data collection systems wherever feasible, in order to minimise the administrative burden;












9.


emphasises the importance of the Commission’s proposal to deepen the Strategic Dialogue with sustained and more effective interaction with farmers, their representative organisations, food chain operators and civil society at local and regional level all over Europe by listening to their concerns and ideas; in particular, encourages the Commission to embrace regular meetings and discussions with the outermost regions that delve into the technical side of things in order to discuss the development of specific programmes implemented by these regions in the fields of agriculture, livestock farming, fishing and food;





Recommendations regarding the regional dimension of the CAP









10.


regrets that the Vision does not mention the need to strengthen the regional dimension of the CAP to bring policy options into line with specific place- and sector-based characteristics;












11.


calls for the regions to play a prominent role in the governance of Strategic Plans, with guarantees to avoid distortions of competition among farmers;












12.


calls on the Commission to clarify its position in order to prioritise production of agricultural products essential for the EU’s strategic autonomy and resilience;












13.


points out that the new CAP delivery model has narrowed the policy’s regional dimension and has led to a greater administrative burden on local and regional managing authorities, a lack of flexibility to adapt the CAP Strategic Plan to local and regional needs and some delays in implementing the policy;












14.


proposes allowing managing authorities to make changes to their Strategic Plans without consulting the Commission in the event of a crisis at local or regional level which requires that emergency aid be granted to farmers; points out that the CAP Strategic Plans are not crisis instruments and only in exceptional cases should they be used as a source of emergency aid;












15.


also proposes establishing limits beyond which managing authorities can introduce changes to their Strategic Plans, requiring only a communication to the Commission;












16.


requests that local and regional managing authorities have the option of direct exchanges with the European Commission, and that the CAP network directly involves the regions in its work to monitor how the national strategic plans are carried out and evaluated;












17.


recommends better coordinating the work of the national, regional and local monitoring committees;












18.


notes that while giving greater flexibility to Member States and regions within a strategic planning framework is essential to address local agricultural realities, it must be carefully balanced to avoid undermining the coherence of the single market; recognises the risk that significantly divergent payments for similar actions across Member States could lead to distortions in competition, and therefore stresses the need for fair conditions that preserve a level playing field in the single market;












19.


in order to ensure a level playing field among Member States and regions, asks the European Commission to consider including clear and achievable targets that all Member States should strive to meet by the end of the programming period, as proposed in the CoR’s previous opinion on the reform of the CAP;





Recommendations regarding a fair distribution of income support









20.


welcomes the proposal to better target public support towards those farmers who need it most, paying particular attention to farmers in areas with natural constraints and sustainability and spatial planning challenges, to young and new farmers, and to mixed farms;












21.


emphasises the great importance of enabling our farmers to farm without an excessive administrative burden and the role of using simplified income support tools; income security should be at the centre of agricultural policy;












22.


argues that the income tools, which represent the largest share of the CAP budget, should contribute to maintaining agricultural activity in all geographical areas, tackling long-term challenges such as maintaining jobs in remote rural areas, supporting sectors and sustainable farming practices that sustain livelihoods, biodiversity and landscapes, and slowing down land abandonment and rural depopulation;












23.


emphasises that market regulation mechanisms, such as public stocks or supply control measures, can effectively complement direct payments and free up resources to support farmers in their green transition and stabilise market prices by preventing speculation;












24.


recommends complementing direct payments with countercyclical subsidies in order to stabilise farmers’ income against a backdrop of unpredictable crises;





Recommendations regarding internal market regulation mechanisms









25.


recommends further amending the common market organisation in order to guarantee farmers prices that at least cover production costs, to prevent crises and support farmers in times of crisis;












26.


points out that means of risk management should be further developed to enhance the resilience of the sector;












27.


calls on the EU to introduce a principle of reciprocity in agricultural trade in order to encourage greater fairness and solidarity in trade relations and, in so doing, to tackle unfair trading practices; to this end, strict controls must be established and put in place to guarantee reciprocity and protect both citizens and producers;












28.


supports the proposed correction to the current imbalances in the food chain but wishes to highlight the regional differences between these imbalances, whether they be, but not exclusively, due to scale, effects of climate change, or (historical) spatial planning challenges;












29.


considers that the common market organisation must ensure an obligation on buyers to purchase agricultural products at a price that, as a minimum, covers the production costs for all agricultural production;












30.


believes that, as demonstrated by the European Committee of the Regions study on the Market Responsibility Programme in the dairy sector, regulating the market is for many sectors more effective and less costly than triggering crisis measures retroactively;












31.


notes that, in the face of an over-production crisis, it is more efficient and less costly to reduce overcapacity, rather than let an entire sector collapse in crisis;












32.


requests that a tool be created that provides aid for a voluntary reduction in production, to be triggered automatically as soon as thresholds are crossed;












33.


considers that the common market organisation must provide for the public management of private stocks, particularly in strategic sectors, as food stocks must be managed in such a way as to meet the needs of the population but must under no circumstances allow any form of dumping;












34.


looks forward to the revision of the UTP directive in order to address the principle that farmers should not be forced to systematically sell their products below production costs, as well as the review of the CMO regulation in the context of the post-2027 CAP proposals;












35.


strongly supports the new EU Agrifood Chain Observatory (AFCO) to guide further action, to support long-term competitiveness and promote trust and fairness by enhancing transparency surrounding costs and margins in the food chain;





Recommendations regarding trade policy and its consistency with the CAP









36.


welcomes the Commission’s willingness to implement ‘mirror clauses’ in current and future European trade agreements to protect EU farmers against unfair imports. More comprehensive impact assessments should be a critical element of any trade agreement;












37.


calls for the ‘Community preference’ principle to be effectively reintegrated into commercial transactions involving agricultural products on the European internal market, particularly in the fruit and vegetable sector; commercial transactions in fruit and vegetable products from the EU should take precedence over imports from non-EU countries;












38.


commends the commitment to promote further uptake of Geographical Indications (GIs) as a powerful tool for European producers in valorising their products preserving food heritage, and calls on the EU to protect PDO and PGI products in trade agreements with third countries and to strengthen its promotion policy in the internal and external markets, including by adopting a GIs action plan;












39.


regrets that the Commission proposes limiting the scope to ‘the most hazardous pesticides’ to be banned in the EU for health and environmental reasons. This measure should be extended to all imported products for which pesticides banned by the European Union have been used; calls on the EU to leverage its market power by enforcing a broader ban and robust restrictions on harmful pesticides, both to protect its own citizens and to drive higher standards for sustainable agricultural practices globally;












40.


calls on the EU to use its influence as the world’s largest food importer and exporter to change the international agricultural trade rules introduced in 1994 (WTO) so as to encourage greater fairness and solidarity in trade relations;












41.


urges the Commission to harmonise legislation on maximum residue levels of pesticides in or on food and feed of plant and animal origin, and the rules governing plant protection products authorised for use by EU farmers, in order to balance competition between products produced in the EU and those imported from third countries;












42.


in particular, in the context of the trade war with the United States, calls on the European Commission to assess the asymmetrical impact of the new tariffs and create a compensation plan for our impacted producers. A measured approach that seeks to enhance cooperation with our transatlantic partners is required. The threat of tariffs, trade wars, and retaliatory measures would be catastrophic—not just for European farmers, but for American consumers who depend on our high-quality products;












43.


calls on the EU to fund consumer education campaigns to promote an understanding of quality standards that prioritise the intrinsic value of food, rather than relying on aesthetic criteria (e.g., the appearance of potatoes). This would help reduce the unnecessary use of pesticides and encourage consumers to appreciate food quality based on taste, nutritional value, and sustainability;












44.


urges a measured position by the European Commission in response to the tariffs imposed by the United States, which primarily affect agri-food products – key expressions of an economy deeply rooted in European regional territories – in order to prevent European farmers become pawns in a political game and to continue providing stability and access to markets to our farmers;












45.


points out that the CAP should prioritise farmers and be geared towards farm profitability and administrative simplification. In this regard, it is crucial to remind the primary sector that competition is not at odds with the green transition, which requires a more pragmatic approach when it comes to certain objectives (such as sustainable resource management, landscape conservation and the fight against climate change) – one that ensures both sustainability and the productivity and profitability of farms;





Recommendations regarding the environmental dimension of the CAP









46.


in line with the CoR opinion on Regional adaptation strategies for low carbon agriculture (CDR-3978-2022), invites the Commission to include local and regional authorities in the governance of the European carbon certification scheme as they can ensure that projects based on supply chain cooperation and tailored to a region’s needs and features and regional strategies for reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions can get off the ground;












47.


highlights the crucial and active role agriculture and farmers play in environmental conservation and sustainability, and underlines that, in the field of agriculture, the CAP contributed the most to the climate and environmental objectives of the EU;












48.


considers that farmers must be supported adequately in the transition to sustainable farming and therefore the CAP budget for reaching this goal should be supplemented with additional resources;












49.


points out that in its opinion on the sustainable use of pesticides the CoR calls for a state fund to be set up that can help foster the implementation and uptake of integrated pest management. The financial resources for this fund could inter alia be provided through a risk-based taxation on plant protection products, through contributions from retailers, or through penalty payments; in any case, collecting these financial resources should not create an economic burden for farmers;





Recommendations regarding the social dimension of the CAP









50.


believes that a transition towards the green sustainability of agriculture must go hand in hand with social justice and the economic well-being of farmers and rural communities. Green Deal commitments must be complemented by measures that support fair income and job security;












51.


points out that social issues surrounding farmers’ work should be debated and given serious attention primarily in social forums in order to ensure correct, comprehensive technical responses from experts in the field. These issues should be addressed in a framework that goes beyond the CAP;












52.


welcomes the proposal to use the Farm Advisory Services under the CAP to raise awareness of mental health and accidents at work through specific advice to farmers;












53.


calls on the Commission to assess, before the end of 2026, the impact of the social dimension of the CAP in collaboration with local and regional authorities, and to propose ways to make it more efficient through other policies and funds, including measures to enhance conditions for farm workers;












54.


stresses the essential role of local and regional authorities in ensuring compliance with social standards in agriculture, particularly through housing inspections, training schemes and the integration of migrant workers into rural communities. Calls on the Commission to involve local authorities in the assessment and monitoring of social conditionality;












55.


recommends, therefore, that action be taken to ensure that the aims of social conditionality can be achieved across all agricultural sectors in order to limit distortions of competition between local and regional authorities linked to different labour costs;












56.


building on recommendations included in the Opinion on Fair working conditions in agriculture: the local and regional perspective, recalls the importance of adopting the ILO’s Safety and Health in Agriculture Recommendation (No 192) and Convention (No 184) and the Council recommendation concerning the improvement of the protection of the health and safety at work of self-employed workers;












57.


emphasises the importance of the Generational Renewal Strategy to ensure the future of our young and new farmers and our future food sovereignty in general. The strategy would rightfully tackle the key barriers to generational renewal by making the agricultural sector more attractive. In particular, it would promote the principle of ‘the right to stay’ for young farmers who wish to remain and farm in their local areas;












58.


welcomes the fact that the Vision for the future of agriculture and food addresses the key challenge that is generational renewal, and supports the priorities identified in the areas of access to land, skills, retirement schemes and tax incentives; however, also points out that these much-needed measures and actions need to be implemented through the European strategy for generational renewal and given an ample budget to ensure they are credible and effective;












59.


in this regard, the European Committee of the Regions proposes to be a key stakeholder to contribute and provide recommendations to help meet this objective; it also highlights the need to listen to and work closely with young farmers from all European regions, and thus ensure that measures responding to the specific characteristics of each region are incorporated into the European strategy for generational renewal;





Recommendations regarding rural development









60.


welcomes the Commission’s willingness to further enhance synergies and complementarities between EU Structural Funds to ensure effective support and a tangible impact in rural areas;












61.


stresses the need to continue with strong second pillar measures dedicated to rural development by supporting the viability of rural areas through instruments covering agricultural and non-agricultural activities and the use of financial instruments, also with a view to contributing to the green transition; calls for the link to be maintained between the first and second pillars of the CAP in order to maintain overall consistency;












62.


highlights the importance of ensuring that the management of rural development instruments is linked to the necessary continuation of land-related activities;












63.


points out that the outermost regions (ORs) have specificities when it comes to rural development that require specific and targeted support; in this context, takes good note of the Commission’s reference to the ORs in the Vision for Agriculture and Food, confirming the importance of the POSEI scheme in supporting farmers in these regions; agrees that the results of the ongoing evaluation will feed into the reflection on how to ensure that POSEI can guarantee the long-term future of the agricultural sector in the outermost regions, further contributing to their food security and sovereignty, competitiveness and resilience;












64.


notes that the local and regional authorities can take on an important supporting role in sustaining vibrant and economically prosperous communities in rural and coastal areas and maintaining them as an integral part of the EU’s identity and combatting depopulation in these regions;












65.


welcomes the announcement of an updated EU Rural Action Plan;












66.


calls for place-based policies to be bolstered and better targeted by, among other things, boosting the capacity of the CLLD/LEADER instrument to meet the increasing expectations of rural development and territorial cohesion;












67.


considers it crucial to simplify access to EU funding and procedures using a consistent and flexible approach to territorial development;












68.


proposes establishing new implementation tools to bolster support for CLLD-LEADER. These tools would be based on a lead fund whose management regulation would apply to contributions from the other funds in use, with a mandatory percentage of funding earmarked for CLLD in each of these funds. They would also be based on the use of lump-sum payments for small projects;












69.


regrets the lack of upscaling of successful local and regional projects carried out under certain CLLD-LEADER programmes. Too many CLLD-LEADER programmes are considered to be one-off operations;












70.


proposes encouraging the use of pre-financing and advance schemes for small projects. Furthermore, the Committee calls for a mechanism to be introduced to ensure the systematic payment of an advance representing 80 % of the grant awarded, as soon as the project has been approved;












71.


highlights the importance of securing food sovereignty in the European Union through policies that ensure food quality, sustainability and security;





Recommendations regarding sustainable food systems









72.


notes that the strand on food has been scaled down and recommends further exchanges of views to find the way forward in related questions;












73.


encourages progress towards more sustainable and resilient food systems by promoting the cultivation of legumes and other plant-based crops, recognising their environmental and health benefits, such as improved soil quality, lower emissions, and efficient resource use. Highlights the importance of supporting farmers through targeted incentives to diversify production, enhance animal welfare, and ensure that any transitions in production models are gradual, balanced and socially fair;












74.


recommends considering removing regulatory obstacles and simplifying rules under European Innovation Partnerships (EIP) in order to strengthen research and innovation within the agri-food system. The joint and several liability obligation (along with other administrative barriers) should be removed where innovation projects are carried out in a group, so that in the event of non-compliance by one of the partners, the financial liability falls only to that non-compliant partner. There should also be a possibility for these projects to be financially guaranteed by the administration, in particular in cases of petitions to recover granted subsidies;












75.


regrets that the Commission focusses exclusively on Member States and international partners when seeking to identify sustainable ways of harnessing the potential of the bioeconomy for farmers, whilst the local level is often the ideal scale for implementing and initiating bio-based and circular projects and solutions;












76.


notes that innovation in agriculture is key to addressing the multiple challenges related to the climate crisis, environmental sustainability, and food safety, and looks forward to the adoption of legislative proposals aimed at accelerating the development and authorisation of new biotechnological tools for plant protection and their deployment at farm level as a means of reducing the use of chemical products;












77.


welcomes the proposal to organise annual Food Dialogues with the food system’s actors in order to address pressing issues such as food reformulation, collection of data on dietary intake and food affordability, exchange of best practices and monitoring of food poverty;












78.


highlights the role of local and regional authorities in designing supportive food environments through community-led initiatives;












79.


looks forward to the adoption of the legislative proposal on food public procurement and hopes that it will provide the right incentives to promote the consumption of local, seasonal products, and food produced with high environmental and social standards, including organic products and food originating from shorter supply chains;












80.


proposes that a public, user-friendly scientific information database be created as a way of combating the false information that is currently making the rounds on social media against certain foods, such as milk and meat and their by-products;






Brussels, 2 July 2025.


The President


of the European Committee of the Regions

Kata TÜTTŐ
               





ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/4411/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)