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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The European Commission is expected to announce next Tuesday, May 19, its fertilisation action plan from Strasbourg. This action plan, unless there is a rapid change in direction, is unlikely to meet the expectations of the European farming community or address the scale of the crisis that has been unfolding since the outbreak of the conflict in Iran. European farmers are facing the wall and can’t wait any longer!
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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European Commission unveiled a complementary set of CAP adjustments aimed at providing Member States with greater flexibility to support farmers facing sharply rising fertiliser costs. COPA COGECA acknowledges that these announcements represent an initial positive step. However, these they should be seen for what they are: limited adjustments that leave the core issues untouched and fail to match the magnitude of the crisis that could hit 🇪🇺agriculture in the months ahead.
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Finance Ministers have adopted their General Approach on the European Commission proposal to strengthen the hashtag CBAM.While the Iran crisis have pushed Member States to recognise the need for a safeguard mechanism for fertilisers through the inclusion of Article 27a, farmers and agri-cooperatives express deep disappointment that the agreed trigger threshold is set far too high to provide any meaningful protection in times of crisis.
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the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026 presented its negotiating approach on how to reach a consensus among Member States on the next EU budget, based on the European Commission’s proposal and its Single Fund structure. COPA COGECA, like the European Parliament negotiators on this file, can only regret the approach being pursued. The proposed baseline for the agricultural envelope simply does not reflect the food security and transition challenges that will arise over the period.
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In response to the sharp rise in fertiliser prices, the European Union announced today, following the presentation of its Fertiliser Action Plan, the mobilisation and increase of the agricultural crisis reserve from €200 million to a total of €500 million. Member States will also have the possibility to complement this amount with additional national support of up to 200% of the allocation received. This step is far from enough. CBAM alone will cost farmers €820M in 2026. Member States can add support, but farmers and cooperatives need immediate derogations, market transparency and 2027 supply security to avoid production decline and food inflation.
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Concern was running high in Strasbourg, where farmers from across Europe had once again gathered for a symbolic action just hours before the presentation of the Commission’s fertiliser action plan. Announced as a response to the severe crisis faced by farmers over the soaring cost of this key input, the plan ultimately unveiled today contains no immediate measures that would give farmers hope of economic relief for the short term with the Middle East crisis, and lacks of firm and ambitious measures in the medium and longer term to provide relief from the multiplication of EU policies artificially increasing fertilisers prices. The Fertiliser Action Plan presented today must be implemented without any further delays and complemented by immediate, concrete solutions that match the scale of the crisis. The European agriculture sector is heading straight towards a fertiliser wall, while the European Union monitors and hesitates when it should be taking action, because otherwise tomorrow it will be all European consumers who will find themselves up against the wall.
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Copa and Cogeca today announced a mobilisation for May 19, the date on which the European Commission is set to release its Fertiliser Action Plan. This plan, unless there is a rapid change in direction, is unlikely to meet the expectations of the European farming community or address the scale of the crisis that has been unfolding since the outbreak of the conflict in Iran. The Commission has both the tools and the means to act in the short, medium and long term. Any delays in taking action in the coming weeks and months, while farmers are already beginning to prepare their stock for the upcoming season, could have major consequences for consumer prices in 🇪🇺and for our ability to support global food security.
The fertiliser crisis triggered by the war in Iran has, in recent weeks, brought renewed attention in the public debate to farmers’ opposition to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). While a range of general political arguments have been put forward, one crucial question has been absent: what will this new mechanism cost European farmers and is it sustainable for the sector? Copa and Cogeca have carried out an initial estimate that should raise serious concern: over a seven-year period, the cost of CBAM for farmers could reach €39 billion, equivalent to 10% of the current CAP budget over the same period.
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At today’s Informal Meeting of EU Agriculture Ministers, Presidents Giansanti and Nilsson delivered an urgent warning: Europe’s food security and agricultural resilience are under threat, demanding immediate and decisive action by the EU.
For 3 years in a row, European cereal producers are in the red economically, losing up to €500 per hectare. This situation is becoming increasingly structural and should raise concern well beyond the farming sector. What is the main driver? Fertilisers and their prices.
From 18 December in Bruxelles to 20 January in Strasbourg, European farmers have shown their determination to save the future of EU farming.Farmers have been one of the backbone of European construction for more than 80 years. If you break the backbone, you can't stand anymore. Our message is clear: we will keep pushing for a strong common CAP, for fair trade deals and legal certainty. The mobilisation continues!
Relive the Inspiration!The official video highlight of the Final Ceremony of the 6th European Award for Cooperative Innovation is here! Watch as 11 European agri-cooperatives are celebrated for their groundbreaking innovative efforts. Their work embodies the spirit of "Cooperatives build a better world", the motto for the UN International Year of Cooperatives 2025 Agri-cooperatives are driving economic activity, social inclusion, and environmental transition across Europe!
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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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