ABOUT

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The theme of this year’s Congress discussion will explore the central role of agriculture as a driver to ensure EU competitiveness and security. These discussions are framed by the sector’s potential to contribute to the EU’s overarching goals ranging from economic growth to food security.

EU farmers and agri-cooperatives produce food, feed, fibre and energy. They play a critical role in shaping the European landscape, maintaining natural resources and providing environmental public goods. They contribute to the vitality, growth and resilience of rural areas across the EU and up to its borders and they are also key actors in the development of the bioeconomy. EU agriculture is central to driving economic value in the Single Market and lies at the foundation of the agri-food value chain, generating over €1 trillion in gross value added.

The Congress will explore the cumulative impacts of current geopolitical uncertainties, rising input prices, access to finance, legislative complexity, administrative burdens, and extreme weather events affecting the sector. These challenges continue to strain the economic sustainability of farmers and agri-cooperatives, impacting on their capacity to invest, innovate and therefore impede the sector’s strategic role in maintaining stability and peace and in contributing to EU competitiveness, security and strategic autonomy.

Discussions will also focus on how the EU can maintain and strengthen its agricultural foundation inn the context of future enlargement. With this, we aim to ensure continuous collaboration between our organisations on relevant policy areas for the benefit of the farming community and the agri-food supply chain across the European Union.