The 7th NAT commission meeting will take place on Wednesday 4 February 2026 at the European Committee of the Regions, Rue Belliard 99-101, Brussels room JDE 52.
This meeting will be fully on-site. The public can follow the meeting in the listening room JDE53. The meeting will also be webstreamed.
For security reasons you need to contact the NAT secretariat at the latest on Monday 2 February if you wish to participate in person.
Highlights of the meeting on 4 February 2026.
First discussion and adoption:
- EU stockpiling strategy: Boosting the EU’s material preparedness for crises. Rapporteur: János Ádám KARÁCSONY (HU/ECR)
Strengthening material preparedness and EU strategic stockpiles is a crucial component to enhance EU’s preparedness in the face of increasing and complex risks and threats. The EU stockpiling strategy aims to improve access to essential goods and supplies for European citizens and societies, businesses and economies and ensure their continuity at all times, especially during crises such as major energy blackouts, natural disasters, conflicts or pandemics.
The opinion recognises the timeliness of the strategy also reiterating the need to enhance the preparedness and capacity of cities and regions to provide essential goods and services during crises. Local and regional authorities need to become part of the process of strengthening EU crisis preparedness in line with a ‘whole-of-society’ and ‘whole-of-government’ approach.
- Preparing the EU for the next health crisis: Medical Countermeasures Strategy. Rapporteur: Antonio AURIGEMMA (IT/ECR)
The European Committee of the Regions welcomes the EU’s new Medical Countermeasures Strategy as a timely step to strengthen preparedness for future health crises. It stresses that regional and local authorities—who manage much of Europe’s healthcare—must be fully involved in planning, stockpiling, and crisis response. The opinion highlights lessons from COVID‑19, the rise of antimicrobial resistance, and growing geopolitical instability, calling for stronger investment in research, innovation, and coordinated EU‑level action. It also underlines the urgent need to address health‑worker shortages and to secure long‑term funding for preparedness across all levels of government.
- Future of the Rural Development 2028+. Rapporteur: Radim SRŠEŇ (CZ/ EPP)
The opinion on the Future of Rural Development 2028+ comes at a crucial moment with rural areas facing several structural issues, recognised in the Long‑Term Vision for Rural Areas and the Rural Pact. Although marginalization, limited access to services and depopulation are still frequent features in EU rural areas, the Union still lacks a coherent and sufficiently resourced rural policy response within the emerging post‑2027 architecture.
The preparation of the Opinion is timely and strategically important, to be part of the negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The CoR must ensure that rural development is embedded as a horizontal priority rather than left dependent on sectoral instruments. The NRP Fund with its approach of integrating several policies under a single‑fund offers opportunities for multiprogram funding mechanisms. However, without systematic rural proofing, detailed territorial tagging and a functional definitions of “rurality”, territorial development policies risk being overlooked underfunded and diluted.
Swift adoption of this opinion offers the opportunity to shape a strong political message: rural areas are essential and deserve more political attention; therefore, rural development should come back to the central stage of the Union’s cohesion, competitiveness, social and environmental objectives of the next MFF.
Exchange of views:
Debate on AGRI-food policies post 2027
- The common Agriculture Policy (CAP). Rapporteur: Piotr CAŁBECKI (PL/EPP)
As the current rules on the EU common Agricultural Policy are set to expire at the end of 2027, the European Commission is proposing new CAP rules that would apply during the next multiannual financial framework. According to the proposal, the CAP Would no longer have a separate budget but would be integrated into the new national and regional partnerships fund (NRPF). The NRPF would include a ringfenced budget only for some CAP measures, while the remainder would have to be covered from the part of the fund that Member States would have to use for other areas as well. This opinion will contribute to advocate for ensuring strong regional dimension of the CAP to adapt intervention to local needs.
- The common Fisheries Policy, the European Ocean Pact and of the Union’s maritime and aquaculture policy. Rapporteur: Thibaut GUIGNARD (FR/EPP)
The new MFF reforms integrate the CFP/aquaculture, the European Ocean Pact and maritime policies into the single NRP Fund. This shift risks substantially reducing dedicated resources while increasing competition with other priorities. Already existing concerns for coastal communities and, in particular, small‑scale fisheries are now exacerbated instead of addressed. The opinion on fisheries and maritime policy will contribute to advocate for securing predictable funding, safeguarding sector/territorial‑specific priorities, and ensuring strong multilevel governance within the new financial and governance framework. With this opinion, the CoR will also testimony the LRAs’ attention to guarantee that fisheries remain visible, adequately supported, and strategically embedded in the MFF architecture.
- The common market organisation in agricultural products and EU School scheme. Rapporteur: Alessio MAMMI (IT/PES)
EU agricultural markets face increasing volatility due to climate change, geopolitical instability, energy price shocks, and shifting consumer demand. At the same time, farmers’ bargaining power remains weak in many value chains, while sustainability requirements are increasing. The existing CMO has proven valuable in crisis situations but requires modernization to anticipate rather than merely react to crises, improve coherence with environmental and climate objectives, strengthen farmers’ position in the food chain and enhance transparency and market intelligence.
- Strategy for generational renewal in agriculture. Rapporteur: Emiliano GARCÍA-PAGE SÁNCHEZ (ES/PES)
Europe’s agricultural sector is facing a growing generational gap as fewer young people choose to enter farming. In 2020, just about 12% of farm managers in the EU were under 40, and among them just 2.5% were women, according to Eurostat. By contrast, a majority, 57.6% of farm managers were aged 55 or older.
To counter these negative trends, the European Commission published in October 2025 the Strategy for Generational Renewal in Agriculture, setting out a roadmap, with policy actions, to support young and new farmers and attract more people to farming. The strategy is framed as a political priority of the European Commission.
- Union Civil Protection Mechanism. Rapporteur: Adam BANASZAK (PL/EA)
The proposed Regulation is part of a set of sectoral regulations under the next Multiannual Financial Framework. It provides for the functioning of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) and sets out the Union’s support for health emergency preparedness and response, defining the objectives, the budget for the period 2028-2034, the forms of and rules for the Union financing.
The EU must be prepared to deal with growing and multiple risks, from climate hazards to health and security threats. Enhancing the EU's resilience requires closer and more efficient cooperation between the Union and its Member States and local and regional authorities, as well as further measures and support to anticipate risks and manage disasters through comprehensive and integrated crisis management.
- Consumer Agenda 2025-2030 and action plan on consumers in the Single Market. Rapporteur: Adam CISZKOWSKI (PL/ECR)
The 2030 Consumer Agenda establishes a new strategic framework for EU consumer policy, setting out concrete priorities and actions for the next five years. The agenda is articulated around four priority areas: action plan for consumers in the single market, digital fairness and consumer online protection; sustainable consumption as well as effective enforcement and redress.
Protecting vulnerable consumers, simplification of consumer protection rules and reducing administrative burden are cross-cutting priorities, that apply throughout the entire Agenda.