MEPs debate on the outcome of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture. In January 2024, the EU launched the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture, following EC President von der Leyen's announcement in her September 2023 State of the Union address. The initiative brought together 29 key stakeholders from the agri-food sector, rural communities, and academia to shape a shared vision for EU farming and food systems. On 4 September 2024, EC President von der Leyen received the group's final report, "A Shared Prospect for Farming and Food in Europe," from Chair Professor Peter Strohschneider. Opening statement by Mairead MCGUINNESS, European Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability, and Capital Markets Union. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

statement

Strasbourg

plenary session

McGUINNESS, Mairead (EPP, IE)

CAP reform (T)

Outcome of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture: opening statement by Mairead MCGUINNESS, European Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability, and Capital Markets Union

SOUNDBITE (English), Mairead MCGUINNESS, European Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability, and Capital Markets Union, Thank you very much, Vice President. It's a pleasure to be here. And I think it's significant that this opening debate is about agriculture, food and the environment. And I can do no better than link my opening remarks to the debates in the opening of the session where many of you commented on natural disasters, the horrors that are happening in many member states with floods, the loss of life, the devastation, the impacts on farmland and on farm families. I also want to acknowledge the horrors of fires raging in member states.

SOUNDBITE (English), Mairead MCGUINNESS, European Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability, and Capital Markets Union, So this is a key debate in my view, because it addresses the fundamental challenge of climate change. And I want to acknowledge, of course, that President von der Leyen has expressed solidarity with those member states and their citizens who are suffering at this time. And I join in those remarks this evening. As I said, climate change is real. It is impacting. And therefore, this debate on the future of EU agriculture is ever more important.

SOUNDBITE (English), Mairead MCGUINNESS, European Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability, and Capital Markets Union, The background is a range of stakeholders from farmers, agri business, environmental NGOs and consumer organisations all came together under the Strategic Dialogue to find common solutions to the challenges facing the farming and food sectors. Against the odds, perhaps they were able to find and agree unanimously on recommendations, as I say, supported by all of the participants, and they came from very different positions and yet they succeeded in reaching unanimous agreement on a shared vision for the future of food and farming in Europe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Mairead MCGUINNESS, European Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability, and Capital Markets Union, Against a background of polarised views, division and protest, the participants in the dialogue showed that it is possible to find common ground, to overcome polarisation, to create trust and build bridges. This in itself is a major achievement. It demonstrates the importance of the strategic dialogue process and the commitment of the participants. And as we face into the challenges ahead, we should keep this spirit alive. We invite all stakeholders and EU institutions to continue working together.

SOUNDBITE (English), Mairead MCGUINNESS, European Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability, and Capital Markets Union, The Commission is now analysing the report's recommendations carefully, and those recommendations are backed by a broad consensus and therefore deserve to be given full and careful consideration. We will present our ideas on the way forward in our vision for agriculture and food to be delivered in the first 100 days of the new mandate. So what I want to do tonight is to share some preliminary considerations of the report.

SOUNDBITE (English), Mairead MCGUINNESS, European Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability, and Capital Markets Union, So firstly, the dialogue is clear that farmers should have fair and sufficient incomes and that we need a common agricultural policy that is targeted and fit for purpose. As President von der Leyen stated in her political guidelines, the Commission will continue to defend a EU income policy for Europe's farmers and will ensure that the EU budget funds a more targeted cap that finds the right balance between incentives, investments and regulation.

SOUNDBITE (English), Mairead MCGUINNESS, European Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability, and Capital Markets Union, The dialogue also emphasises the need to strengthen farmers position in the food value chain, offering concrete ideas about how to achieve this. And this resonates with the Commission's recommendations put forward in March to improve farmers negotiating power. We should continue to build an economically, environmentally and socially fairer system. In addition, the dialogue calls for smart and inclusive administrative solutions that limit unnecessary bureaucratic burden.

SOUNDBITE (English), Mairead MCGUINNESS, European Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability, and Capital Markets Union, Earlier this year, we put in place measures to reduce controls and penalties for farmers. And simplification and the reduction of red tape will be key priorities for the next commission, especially for small and family farms. The dialogue clearly commits to the transition to more sustainable food systems. It makes concrete recommendations on how to boost sustainable farming and food systems. It includes pathways for reducing the sector's greenhouse gas emissions, promoting sustainable livestock farming and encouraging affordable and accessible, healthy and sustainable diets.

SOUNDBITE (English), Mairead MCGUINNESS, European Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability, and Capital Markets Union, In particular, it emphasises the need to better incentivise and reward sustainable agricultural practices, both with public funding and private investments. This is in line with the Commission's commitment to the green transition. To thrive the agrifood sector must be sustainable. So we must better reward farmers who work with and for nature, preserve our biodiversity and natural ecosystems and help to decarbonise our economy on the way to net zero by 2050, while providing sustainable food.

SOUNDBITE (English), Mairead MCGUINNESS, European Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability, and Capital Markets Union, Farmers can only make the transition if they can make a living from their farm, and their very future as farmers will depend on achieving our climate and environmental goals. One of the greatest risks to agriculture in Europe is the impact of the climate, biodiversity and pollution crisis. I've mentioned floods and droughts and fires, but we have the risk of animal diseases and plant diseases in addition. It's therefore encouraging that the dialogue calls for more action to help farmers working hand in hand with nature.

SOUNDBITE (English), Mairead MCGUINNESS, European Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability, and Capital Markets Union, The report recommends the use of innovative plant breeding approaches and more effective tools for risk and crisis management. It also calls for the promotion of water resilient agriculture, which resonates with our commitment to strengthen Europe's water security. We need to support farmers in becoming more skilled, resilient and prepared. Our European agriculture and food sector is very diverse and that's its strength.

SOUNDBITE (English), Mairead MCGUINNESS, European Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability, and Capital Markets Union, The dialogue emphasises the need to preserve this diversity and build a sector that protects and attracts workers and invigorates rural communities. It also calls for more action to support young farmers and boost generational renewal. We welcome that the dialogue members explicitly support the Commission's long term vision for rural areas, and we will continue working on its implementation. And it stresses the need to address gender inequalities and improve diversity in the sector in line with our commitment on gender equality, on which we will strengthen our work.

SOUNDBITE (English), Mairead MCGUINNESS, European Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability, and Capital Markets Union, The dialogue also clearly stresses the vital importance of knowledge, research, innovation and technologies, as well as the practical skills and capacities to turn them into practice. And the Commission shares this assessment. We must seize the opportunities offered by new knowledge and farming methods, as well as advanced technologies to build a more competitive, resilient and sustainable agriculture and food systems. We will foster investment and innovation on farms and in co-operatives, agri businesses and in SMEs in the sector.

SOUNDBITE (English), Mairead MCGUINNESS, European Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability, and Capital Markets Union, Lastly, the dialogue expresses a clear wish to continue the close cooperation that this process has generated, and we welcome the recommendation to set up a high level stakeholder platform for the food chain. And indeed, we are looking at how best to put this in place as soon as possible. I would say that cooperation with this parliament will continue to be critical.

SOUNDBITE (English), Mairead MCGUINNESS, European Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability, and Capital Markets Union, Professor Strohschneider, mesh with come agree in January. And I know he also had informal discussions with many of you and we look forward to continuing in this spirit of close cooperation. When the dialogue started, there were some who said it would not achieve its objectives. And I am glad to say that you were wrong, that the many who believed in the process, we've been proved right. I really look forward to the contributions of this Parliament towards and to hear your views on the future of EU agriculture. Thank you.