Shortage of healthcare workers and agri-food supply chain on the agenda of the first NAT meeting of the new mandate

For the first meeting of the new mandate of the Commission for natural resources (NAT), members adopted two opinions on the healthcare workforce in Europe and the farmers’ position in the agri-food supply chain and had an exploratory debate on the outlook opinion on the European Oceans Pact. The meeting was led by Piotr Całbecki (PL/EPP), Marshal of Kujawsko-Pomorskie, the newly elected chair of NAT.  

Healthcare workforce  

The European Union (EU) faces a health workforce deficit, with an estimated shortage of 1.2 million doctors, nurses and midwives as of 2022. While not all regions experience them to the same degree, many territories — especially rural and remote areas — face significant staffing issues.  

Local and regional authorities, often responsible for healthcare, social care, and other social services, must be involved in designing and implementing all strategies and plans related to the EU workforce in these areas. In an opinion led by Birgitta Sacrédeus (SE/EPP), NAT members call for stronger EU action in health promotion, early disease detection, and workforce development. They stress the need to attract, train, and retain healthcare professionals through better education, career promotion, and ethical recruitment, including from non-EU countries. Additionally, they advocate for continuous skills development, cross-border cooperation, and policy adjustments to enhance workforce mobility, healthcare infrastructure, and staff retention across regions.  

Rapporteur Brigitta Sacrédeus (SE/EPP), member of County Council, Dalarna region: "The supply of skills in healthcare requires efforts at all levels. It is not possible to simply increase the number of staff. Great emphasis needs to be placed on retaining staff. This can involve promoting healthy workplaces, providing conditions for work-life balance, enabling career development and finding flexible solutions. It is important to use skills optimally, for example through close and developing teamwork, task-shifting and changing working methods. There are opportunities with technical and digital developments, including AI, that can improve efficiency and be a support and complement to patient-facing contact." 

Agri-food supply chain  

The NAT commission supports the European Commission’s efforts to strengthen farmers’ position in the agri-food supply chain but insists that additional measures are needed to ensure fair incomes and market stability. The opinion led by Loredana Capone (IT/PES) calls for amendments to the Regulation establishing a common market organisation of agricultural products (CMPO) to guarantee prices that cover production costs, strengthen intervention price mechanisms, and enhance the position of small and medium-sized farms. To prevent agricultural crises, members of NAT advocate for automatic intervention mechanisms, public stockpiles, and a performance framework for crisis management. They also urge stronger enforcement against unfair trading practices (UTPs), proposing an ’EU UTPs Platform’ with the presence of all Member States’ designated enforcement authorities, for a more coordinated implementation of the measures established by the Regulation. 

Rapporteur Loredana Capone (IT/PES), president of the regional assembly of Puglia: "This opinion will affect the future of our agriculture and therefore the lives of our farmers, who deserve greater protection. It is the result of constructive discussions with stakeholders and trade associations. There are 11 million farmers in the EU, 47% of whom have incomes well below the European average compared to other sectors. The aim is to create market conditions and new tools to allow fairer and more decent  livelihoods for farmers. The future Common Agricultural Policy must go beyond the proposals presented here to redress the balance of power between producers and large distribution chains in the interests of more sustainable agriculture." 

European Oceans Pact  

The European Commission is preparing a European Oceans Pact, foreseen to be adopted by the second quarter of 2025. Members of the NAT commission had an exploratory debate on an outlook opinion led by Mätta Ivarsson (SE/Greens) emphasising the need of an inclusive dialogue with local and regional authorities and stakeholders to create comprehensive ocean legislation. NAT members suggest fostering discussions among various actors to enhance effective and sustainable use of marine resources, highlighting the oceans' critical role for coastal communities and the need to address local specifics. They stress the importance of healthy marine ecosystems for biodiversity and livelihoods, advocating for investments to enhance local adaptation to environmental challenges. They also call for careful assessment of economic activities and dedicated funding for research and innovation to support a sustainable blue economy while addressing geostrategic disputes affecting coastal communities. 

Rapporteur Mätta Ivarsson (SE/Greens), member of County Council, Skåne region: “Our oceans are the foundation of thriving maritime industries and coastal communities, yet they face unprecedented pressures. Bold, decisive action is urgently needed to protect them within the planet’s limits. The EU Oceans Pact provides a critical opportunity to address this growing crisis. We are committed to working together to make it a strong and effective tool for safeguarding the future of our oceans and coastal regions.” 

Background: 

• The European Oceans Pact opinion will be adopted during the 2-3 April plenary session of the CoR.  

• The healthcare workforce and the agri-food opinions will both be adopted during 14-15 May Plenary session of the CoR.  

• The policy commissions of the CoR began their work on 21 February in the institution's new five-year mandate with the election of new chairs and vice-chairs. More information.  

• 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. 

• The European Oceans Pact will be adopted by the European Commission by the second quarter of 2025.