Our agriculture and rural development committee work

Our MEPs on the Agriculture and Rural Development committee believe that in an uncertain and challenging international environment, agriculture in Europe has to be productive, sustainable and competitive. Our Group fights to ensure that farmers have decent standards of living. As Europe's agricultural and rural policy develops, we will pursue an efficient and transparent use of public funds through a Common Agricultural Policy that is fully aligns with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals.

Our achievements
Our achievements

In the last five years, the S&D Group have put a strong focus on environmental, health and sustainable development aspects of agricultural policy. This was the case on the Common Agriculture Policy reform. We managed to take the lead in ensuring that the reforms were in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, and we encouraged the production of healthy food.

We were successful in defining legislation that would safeguard genuine organic production and farming, and would protect farmers against the monopolies created by major seed companies.

We will keep on calling for and insisting on an ambitious legal framework for the protection of farmers against abusive practices in the food supply chain.

Our priorities
A leadership role in globally sustainable agriculture
A leadership role in globally sustainable agriculture

High-quality food production and supply chains must go hand in hand with our commitment to meet the UN's Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Agricultural production should also promote the sustainable management of natural resources and well-balanced land use, as well as making its contribution to help combat climate change and maintain biodiversity in the countryside.

Europe needs to be able to cope with volatile prices for food and agricultural raw materials in the international food market. We want the EU to have an enhanced role in influencing global food security and to reduce vulnerabilities arising from dependence on imports as much as possible.

Closer synergy between healthy agriculture and human health
Closer synergy between healthy agriculture and human health

Food safety and quality, from farm to fork, should be guaranteed for all European consumers. In parallel with ensuring safety and quality, we need to prevent and reduce food waste along the entire food and feed chain.

Agriculture integrated and contributing to lively rural areas
Agriculture integrated and contributing to lively rural areas

Rural areas are home to millions of people and they must not be reduced to vast, empty crop-production zones. Acting to support diverse rural communities so that rural areas remain peopled by young and old in the long term is essential to Europe's wellbeing. The attractiveness of rural areas as places where people live, work and spend leisure time is key to them remaining productive in the long term. Healthy food comes from a diverse countryside, well tended by the people who know it and live in it.

Public funds have to be used transparently and in the public interest. This means funding should be for specific purposes and agricultural payments granted only to active farmers who make most of their living from farming.

A new relationship between international trade and agriculture
A new relationship between international trade and agriculture

We need to protect Europe's vulnerable sectors and products in free trade agreements, notably through strengthening the current safeguard mechanisms such as tariff-rate quotas.

MEPs involved
Coordinator
Spain
Member
Portugal
Member
Germany
Member
Hungary
Member
Romania
Member
Italy
Member
Lithuania
Substitute
Croatia
Substitute
Austria
Substitute
France
Substitute
Bulgaria
Substitute
Italy
Substitute
Italy