Dismantling agriculture policy will undermine food security, warn EU farmers 

A two-day meeting in Brussels of over 100 EU farming and co-op leaders claimed that merging agricultural funding into a single fund would effectively eliminate the policy's two financial pillars

Undermining the architecture of the EU’s first common agriculture policy will inevitably weaken Europe's security, the letter to EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said. File Picture: Justin Tallis/ WPA/Getty

There is no security without food security and no strategic autonomy without food autonomy.

That’s what the leaders of Copa-Cogeca, the umbrella body for European farmers and co-ops, told EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in an open letter.

They warned that proposals to dismantle the common agriculture policy's (Cap) two-pillar structure in the upcoming multi-annual financial framework would be an historic misstep.

Undermining the architecture of the EU’s first common agriculture policy will inevitably weaken Europe's security, the letter stated.

The leaders noted that Ms von der Leyen had rightly emphasised: "We are entering a new era of rearmament in which Europe must assume greater responsibility for its own security."

A subsequent two-day meeting in Brussels of over 100 EU farming and co-op leaders also claimed that merging agricultural funding into a single fund would effectively eliminate the policy's two financial pillars.

With geopolitical instability affecting international trade, economic challenges, and growing regulatory burdens in the internal market, they warned that the sector was facing a perfect storm.

They also claimed that dismantling the policy's two-pillar structure, in favour of a national programming model for each member state, would erode the shared foundation of EU agricultural policy and add yet another layer of unpredictability.

'Jeopardise production'

“This would not only further fragment the single market but also jeopardise the union’s food production capacity, food security, as well as the vitality of its rural areas,” the leaders added.

Copa president Massimiliano Giansanti said the agricultural ambition of the European Commission must be judged by its actions.

And the first of these, if we are to remain consistent with the political commitments made, must be to safeguard the Cap budget, adjusted to reflect inflation

“The coherence of the agricultural vision and the ability to deliver real impact for farmers in the field hinges on this step," he said.

“In the face of today’s uncertainties, there is no security without food security. We have formally requested a meeting with president Ursula von der Leyen, which we hope will take place swiftly,” he said.

Cogeca president Lennart Nilsson stressed that agri-co-operatives need stability, predictability, trust, and legal certainty.

"The multiple transitions required of European agriculture can — and will — only be achieved if they are properly financed," he said.

“Investing in agriculture is not merely financial support; it is a strategic investment in Europe’s cornerstone sector, one that underpins the entire EU security architecture."

Cop-Cogeca added that the EU budget is not just a financial issue — it is the central political question at the start of this new mandate.

“This is why the matter is of the highest concern for the farming community, and why mobilisation will be organised in the coming weeks,” it added.