ICOS EU Affairs and Communications manager Damien O’Reilly led the panel discussions at the 11th edition of the Congress of European farmers, organised by Copa and Cogeca and supported by the Romanian Alliance for Agriculture and Cooperation (AAC), which was held in Bucharest from 23rd to 25th October. With more than 400 participants and panellists, the programme focused on setting the course for the competitive and sustainable future of European Agriculture for the next political term.
The Congress represented a pivotal moment serving not only as a symbol of the sector’s collective strength, but also as a key platform to cultivate ideas and propose solutions. Among the panelists on day 1 of the two day congress was Carbery Director of Sustainability Enda Buckley who gave the attendees an overview of sustainability initiatives and projects within the Carbery Group such as Farm Zero C,
The congress also focused on the wide range of challenges and difficulties that the farming community is facing today. Farmers and agri-cooperatives are confronted with unparalleled convergences of economic, climate and social challenges: geopolitical instability, extreme weather events, unfair competition, high inputs costs, lack of fair renumeration and mounting administrative burden.
Both the current President of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Hungarian Agriculture Minister István Nagy and the Rumanian Minister for Agriculture Florin-Ionuț Barbu stressed the urgency for the European governments to unite in delivering a viable future for the sector, that is competitive, resilient and with farmer’s interest at the heart of agriculture policies.
Cogeca President Lennart Nilsson stated: “Over the past two days, we have had intensive discussions covering key strategic topics such as: advancing cooperation, boosting innovation, facilitating the uptake of bioeconomy and creating a well-funded Water Resilience Initiative. Copa and Cogeca members’ contributions on these topics are essential to further shape our own vision for the future of EU agriculture based on the reality from the ground”.
A key point by many of the participants and high-level representatives was that the governance of the agri-food and rural policies at EU level should ensure predictability, limit unnecessary administrative burden and conduct thorough impact assessments.
IFA Deputy President Alice Doyle was also among those in attendance in Bucharest.