This year is unfolding in a special context, between the end of a particularly notable mandate dominated by crises and the period of the electoral campaign we are entering, according to a statement issued by COPA-COGECA and sent to the infoGROUP agency. The statement notes that between June 6 and 9, 400 million European voters will decide our common future. This May 9 is therefore an opportunity to take stock of the past mandate and to explain why the next few years will be so essential in Brussels, especially regarding agriculture.

Through our respective mandates within Copa and Cogeca, we have had the opportunity to closely observe the functioning of institutions and the importance of decisions made there during Ursula von der Leyen's tenure at the European Commission.

The successive crises from March 2020 forced European leaders to revise their approach: COVID, the war in Ukraine, the food security weapon brandished by Putin, inflation, and the reemergence of extreme weather phenomena have shown that our agriculture is a sector that is both essential, strategic, and vulnerable.

Each time, Europe has proven to be up to the task for action and was able to react quickly, whether through the Next Generation EU plan, its energy independence and food security strategy, or more recently through its proposals to simplify the CAP.

These various strategies, approved by 27 member states, sometimes within a few weeks, were true feats of strength that would have been impossible to implement without good coordination between our EU institutions.

During this mandate, the most striking thing for us was the paradigm shift that occurred in agricultural issues. In recent months, we have moved away from the dogmatic, top-down approach of Farm to Fork in the early stages of the mandate, towards greater dialogue and a more strategic approach to agricultural issues.

Beyond political display, Farm to Fork quickly showed the limits of a vision without evaluation and without thought put into implementation. This problematic method was primarily recognized by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who decided in September 2023 to launch a "Strategic Dialogue for the Future of Agriculture," ongoing in Brussels.

However, let's be very clear here; many texts have not been concluded during this mandate, leaving a number of questions unanswered, whether about plant protection products or animal welfare, which the future Commission and Parliament will have to address. This change in method will need to be confirmed on these issues after the elections. Continuing with ideology or sterile polarization would mean wasting precious time.

In addition to the Commission's work, the political action of the Members of the European Parliament is also commendable. When it comes to agriculture, they were among the first to raise the concerns and questions of the agricultural and forestry community, acting as intermediaries and moderating many proposals.

Therefore, it is essential that political parties and voters bring to Parliament MEPs who work on these issues and have personal knowledge of the problems faced by European agriculture and rural areas. We are convinced that this issue of the rural/urban divide must be addressed at the European level.

During the next mandate and in the current geopolitical context, three sectors will ensure European sovereignty: energy, defense, and agriculture. Without this sovereignty, the EU will not be able to fully assert itself in the world and will remain dependent on other powers. Agriculture, forestry, and the cooperative movement must therefore regain a highly strategic place at the heart of European thinking.

The next mandate will have to respond to an increasing number of challenges, including the integration of Ukraine into the EU, the renewal of agricultural generations, challenges related to climate change and biodiversity, protecting our agricultural model to ensure food security, and ensuring the coherence of our trade and internal market policies.

No simplistic answers can be given to these questions, and only a concerted approach, based on listening more closely to farmers and other actors in the food chain, will allow us to move forward.

Farmers are certainly among the Europeans most aware of the importance of the EU, not only through the support they receive for income, investments, and transition but also through the trade opportunities offered by the single market and the common standards developed by the EU. Agriculture has always played a vital role at the heart of our Union, as food security is above all a guarantee of peace and stability!

Looking at the disappointment of the British people following Brexit and the hope of new countries applying for EU membership, we are convinced today that above all, we need "more Europe"!

To provide a strong basis for the legitimacy of action and to ensure that the voice of farmers and the rural population is heard in the next Parliament and Commission, it is essential today, even more than yesterday, for European farmers to get involved and vote.

Let's choose MEPs who will confirm the change in direction and agricultural paradigm in Brussels! (Photo: Freepik)