EU agri-food body set up to help work on agriculture and food

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The new consultative body will advise the European Commission on the follow-up to the report on the strategic dialogue on the future of EU agriculture and will contribute to the work on the vision for the future of agriculture and food, which the Commission intends to present in the first 100 days of its mandate.

The council will be set up for a five-year term

It will meet at least twice a year, but additional meetings may be called by Agriculture and Food Commissioner Christophe Hansen. The council will consist of up to 30 member organisations representing three categories: farmers, other actors in the food supply chain and civil society. The latter may include organisations working in the fields of environment and climate protection, animal welfare or consumer rights. A balanced representation of these three categories of stakeholders should be ensured, they wrote. The Brussels statement quoted Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, as saying: agriculture is at the heart of the future of Europe. The Brussels executive body will continue the strategic dialogue on the future of EU agriculture in order to build trust and “connect” people. The new body should address the entire agri-food value chain, support farmers and promote a more resilient, competitive and sustainable EU agri-food system, added Ursula von der Leyen.

MTI