Copa and Cogeca are the united voice of farmers and agri-cooperatives in the EU. Together, we ensure that EU agriculture is sustainable, innovative and competitive, while guaranteeing food security for 500 million people throughout Europe.
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Agricultural leaders from both sides of the Atlantic gathered in Como, Italy, to address global challenges. International farmers cooperation is important. This conference is always the moment to remind and strengthen friendship between European, Mexican, American and Canadian colleagues. A joint press release of this conference can be found on our website in the news/press release section.
Agriculture is one of the most integrated sectors at European level and lies at the heart of many European institution initiatives. Copa and Cogeca organise themselves so as to respond to the challenges and questions posed by European decision-makers, allowing European farmers and cooperatives to put forward their views and proposals concerning a multitude of subjects that directly affect farmers no matter what agricultural activity they are involved in. In the following 12 categories, you will find our positions on key issues affecting the future of European agriculture.
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The coming decade is pivotal for EU agriculture. Many challenges lie ahead. We will face difficult debates on generation renewal, low farm income, market volatility and climate change. As European farmers and cooperatives, we are aware of and ready to navigate these difficult issues and to weather the changes in store. We seek to deliver the type of agriculture that our citizens expect and demand: agriculture that provides a high level of food security and high standards of quality, welfare, sustainability and environmental protection. This is our commitment to Europe! In return, we look to Europe’s leaders to deliver the policy framework that will feed our future.
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Farm leaders from the EU and North America unite in Como! European COPA COGECA, American Farm Bureau, Canadian Federation of Agriculture and Mexican Consejo Nacional Agropecuario tackled food security, sustainability and trade at the 41st NA-EU2025 Agri Conference. Thank you to our Italian colleagues for hosting us!
At COREPER, Member States will discuss and take a decision regarding the Commission proposal to amend the EU’s trade agreement with Morocco, following the ECJ ruling of Oct. 2024 that found that the agreement breached the principle of self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, who have never concluded any trade agreement with the EU. The proposed amendment, through a legal adjustment, would extend the preferential tariffs granted to Morocco to products originating from Western Sahara. While such products would be required to indicate Western Sahara as their place of origin, the conformity certificates would still be issued by Morocco.COPA COGECA warns that the proposed EU-Morocco trade amendment risks setting a dangerous precedent. The amendment could mislead consumers, distort competition, and be inconsistent with international law - all while further pressuring EU farmers.
Copa and Cogeca take note of today’s conclusion of the EU–Indonesia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. The agreement holds important opportunities for certain EU agri-food sectors, but its real value will depend on the effective removal of non-tariff barriers and the delivery of faster, more predictable procedures for exporters.
Copa and Cogeca strongly regret the decision of the Chinese authorities to impose preliminary anti-dumping tariffs on EU pork exports. EU pigmeat producers do not engage in anti-dumping practices and have fully cooperated with the investigation and all requests from the Chinese authorities.
Our organisations take note of today’s Commission proposal on the ratification of the EU–Mercosur Partnership Agreement and its accompanying plan to operationalise the bilateral safeguard mechanism. While this initiative clarifies certain aspects of safeguard implementation, critical questions remain over how such a unilateral legal act would be voted on, enforced, and accepted by Mercosur countries as a binding commitment by the Commission.
At the beginning of this week, leading European media reported on the prospect of an imminent presentation of the EU-Mercosur agreement by the European Commission, taking advantage of what it considers to be ‘favourable timing’ in Brussels. The prospect of putting forward for ratification by the European Parliament and Council an agreement that has not evolved in substance, and through a procedure that amounts to a political push-through, is deeply damaging and sends yet another negative signal at the start of this new political season.
L'accord UE-États-Unis récemment conclu, présenté plus en détail dans la déclaration conjointe publiée aujourd'hui, n'apporte rien au secteur agricole de l'UE. Malgré les déclarations publiques faites en Écosse par la présidente de la Commission européenne, Ursula von der Leyen, concernant d'éventuels accords tarifaires « zéro pour zéro » pour certains produits agricoles, la déclaration conjointe ne prévoit aucune mesure d'allègement pour les producteurs européens. On s'attendait au minimum à un allègement tarifaire pour le vin et les spiritueux, une solution approuvée par les parties prenantes tant dans l'UE qu'aux États-Unis, mais cela n'a pas été le cas.
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Today, European farming organisations mobilised in Brussels for a symbolic march opposing the historic approach taken by the European Commission on two key pillars of European agricultural policy: the future budget framework and the CAP. While harvests are in full swing, the Commission has effectively decided to dismantle the ‘Common’ nature of the CAP through concealed budget cuts under the guise of a so-called ‘Single Fund’, alongside a complete renationalisation justified by the alleged virtue of administrative simplification. Will the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers support what is already shaping up to be the worst reform of the CAP? The coming months will prove decisive.
Who will pay the bill for the EU-Mercosur agreement? For BEUC and Copa-Cogeca, the answer is clear: European farmers and consumers. The reasons explained by the Secretaries-General of both organisations in this video
On Monday, 9 December, just hours after the announcement of a political agreement between the European Commission and representatives of the Mercosur bloc, Copa-Cogeca and its members launched a mobilisation against an outdated, unfair agreement with unacceptable cumulative effects for European agriculture.
Following our call to mobilise against the EU-Mercosur agreement, Marcos Rochinski, leader of Brazil's Confederation of Family Farm Workers, sent us a video message of support explaining why the agreement is also problematic for them!
This is why Copa-Cogeca would propose one new goal to the Commission: reducing counterfeiting in half by 2027 compared to figures in the analysis carried out in March 2023 with a view to having no adulterated honey present in the European market at all by 2030!
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European agriculture and forestry are incredibly diverse. This diversity is our pride and our strength, and we must do everything in our collective power to protect it! This is why all models of agriculture, all types of production and all sizes of farms and cooperatives are represented within Copa and Cogeca.
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