Agri-food: regions and cities want stronger reforms to protect EU farmers and tackle unfair cross-border trade

In response to the European Commission’s proposals to strengthen farmers’ position in the agri-food supply chain local and regional representatives adopted by unanimity an opinion during the Plenary Session of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 15 May. Led by Loredana Capone (IT/PES), the opinion calls for additional measures to ensure fair and stable incomes for farmers and to prevent further crisis.  

Local and regional leaders welcome the legislative proposals as a step in the right direction but recommend amending further Regulation establishing a common market organisation (CMO) of agricultural products, in order to guarantee farmers prices that at least cover production costs and to support farmers in times of unforeseen events. 

The opinion underscores that proactive market regulation is both more efficient and less costly than reactive interventions. A dedicated performance framework for EU crisis-management actions is also proposed. In light of recent geopolitical instability, the opinion advocates for the establishment of EU-level strategic agricultural reserves to safeguard food security and market stability during future crises. It calls for the creation of a mechanism to automatically trigger voluntary production reductions when supply thresholds are breached. 

CoR members welcome the European Commission's proposal to support the EU wine sector in the face of new challenges and to ensure that it remains competitive and resilient, and a viable economic force in the future.Local and regional representatives call for an effective and coherent package toolbox to strengthen the position of farmers in the wine sector before the next harvest. 

Regions and cities also urge stronger enforcement against unfair trading practices (UTPs), proposing an ’EU UTPs Platform’ comprised of enforcement authorities from all Member States’ that would help coordinate the implementation of measures established by the Regulation. The CoR looks forward to the upcoming revision of the UTP Directive in 2025 but considers it necessary to incorporate stricter national measures, extend the list of banned practices, punish purchases below production costs, and promote best practices.  

Quotes 

Rapporteur Loredana Capone (IT/PES), President of the Regional Assembly of Puglia: "It’s time to end unfair trading practices and guarantee a fair, decent income for those who feed us. We’re putting forward concrete proposals to give farmers, especially small ones, more power in the food supply chain. No farmer should be forced to sell at a loss: the EU must guarantee fair prices in line with production costs. The climate and water crises are already hitting our farmers hard. The Commission must invest now to protect our food and those who produce it. European farmers can’t compete on an uneven playing field. The Committee of the Regions calls for fairer standards and EU-wide controls to protect our farmers from unfair competition from imported products that don’t meet our standard.” 

Maurizio Martina, deputy director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): "The great European agricultural challenge is to combine productivity with social and environmental sustainability. Making sure sustainability is not a cost but a driver of productivity and profitability in the sector also requires a strong link with the regions and territories."

Background 

• Video and photos from the session. 

• As a reaction to farm protests and supported by the Strategic Dialogue on the future of agriculture, the European Commission published its legislative proposals to strengthen farmers' position in the agri-food supply chain and enhance cross-border enforcement against unfair trading practices (UTPs) on 11 December 2024. 

• On May 5, rapporteur Loredana Capone participated in the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Parliament in Strasbourg to present the position of the CoR.  Rewatch the discussion.  

• On Wednesday 14 May, the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Parliament debated on a draft report led by rapporteur Stefano Bonaccini (IT/S&D) on unfair trading practices in business-to-business relationships in the agricultural and food supply chain. Celine Imart (FR/EPP), rapporteur for the legislative proposal to strengthen the position of farmers in the food supply chain, presented her draft report.

• Earlier in 2025, the CoR launched the Interregional group WINE (Wine Interregional group for Nature and Economy), which focuses on promoting the interests of the European wine sector. 

Contact 

Hélène Dressen 
Tel: +32 471502795
Helene.dressen@cor.europa.eu