On strengthening competitiveness, resilience and fairness in EU agriculture

–having regard to its resolution of 30 April 2026 on women’s entrepreneurship in rural and island areas and outermost regions (2024/2124(INI)),

–having regard to its resolution of 14 June 2023 on ensuring food security and long-term resilience of the EU agriculture5,

–having regard to its resolution of 10 September 2025 on the future of agriculture and the post-2027 common agricultural policy6,

–having regard to the Commission communication of 29 January 2025 entitled ‘A Competitiveness Compass for the EU’ (COM(2025)0030),

–having regard to the Commission communication of 21 October 2025 entitled ‘Strategy for generational renewal in agriculture’ (COM(2025)0872),

–having regard to the Commission communication of 19 May 2026 entitled ‘Fertiliser Action Plan: Partnership for ensuring the availability, affordability and strategic autonomy in home-grown EU fertilisers’ (COM(2026)0310),

–having regard to the Commission communication of 23 March 2022 entitled ‘Safeguarding food security and reinforcing the resilience of food systems’ (COM(2022)0133),

–having regard to the Commission final report of 2025 entitled ‘Study on working conditions of farm employees in the EU agricultural sector’,

–having regard to the report by Mario Draghi of 9 September 2024 entitled ‘The future of European competitiveness’,

–having regard to the report by Sauli Niinistö of 30 October 2024 entitled ‘Safer Together – Strengthening Europe’s Civilian and Military Preparedness and Readiness’,

–having regard to the report by Enrico Letta of April 2024 entitled ‘Much more than a market – Speed, Security, Solidarity’,

–having regard to the Commission report of 1 December 2025 entitled ‘Evaluation of the Unfair Trading Practices Directive’ (COM(2025)0728),

–having regard to the Food and Agriculture Organization report of 2021 entitled ‘Evaluation of FAO’s contributions to Sustainable Development Goal 2 – Support to fair and informed commodity markets and international trade in agriculture’,

–having regard to the report of 4 September 2024 of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture entitled ‘A shared prospect for farming and food in Europe’,

–having regard to the Declaration of the Rural Pact Coordination Group of 12 December 2024 on the future of rural areas and rural development policy in the European Union,

–having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

–having regard to the letter from the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs,

–having regard to the report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (A10-0000/2026),

A.whereas agriculture remains essential for the EU’s economy, rural development and territorial cohesion, and for its strategic autonomy;

B.whereas the common agricultural policy (CAP) is a partnership between agriculture and society, and is instrumental for the EU’s food security and economic and social development, as well as for the sustainable management of natural resources;

C.whereas ensuring competitiveness, alongside sustainability and resilience, in agriculture is a priority for the EU;

D.whereas farmers are faced with a multitude of challenges, including uncertainties arising from volatile global markets and the cumulative impact of trade agreements;

E.whereas some of the main issues that EU farmers are confronted with result from the complex guidance on implementing agricultural policies, which places a disproportionate burden on small and medium-sized farms;

F.whereas EU and national support measures do not always adequately reflect the needs of farmers, real production costs, inflation, labour intensity, exposure to risk or the added value generated by different farming systems;

G.whereas slow, irregular or unpredictable payments can create acute cash-flow problems for farms, with farmers’ unmet demands for financing from banks reaching EUR 62 billion in 2022;

H.whereas in the last quarter of 2025, fertiliser costs for farmers in the EU remained significantly higher, at 62 % above their 2020 levels;

I.whereas inadequate processing, storage and logistics infrastructure prevents many farmers from retaining added value, reaching markets efficiently and shortening supply chains;

J.whereas the long-term resilience of EU agricultural producers is key for safeguarding EU food production;

K.whereas access to land remains a barrier to attracting new entrants into farming due to high land prices, limited land availability, competition from non-agricultural buyers, ownership fragmentation, unresolved ownership issues, inheritance-related obstacles and unreliable records;

L.whereas insufficient investment in rural infrastructure, including transport, digital access, education and healthcare, limits opportunities for young people, undermines quality of life and weakens the effective exercise of the ‘Right to Stay’ in rural areas;

M.whereas agriculture is increasingly exposed to climate-related risks and natural disasters, which between 1980 and 2022 caused cumulative economic losses in the EU estimated at EUR 650 billion;

N.whereas water scarcity and insufficient irrigation capacity threaten the long-term viability of agricultural production;

O.whereas agriculture depends on healthy soils, functioning ecosystems, biodiversity, pollinators and the sustainable use of natural resources;

P.whereas fairness in EU agriculture means equitably redistributing income support, curbing supply chain power imbalances, and securing the rights and safety of agricultural workers;

Q.whereas the position of small farmers is especially vulnerable due to structural imbalances that leave them dependent on a limited number of buyers and undermine their bargaining power within the food supply chain;

R.whereas producer organisations and associations of producer organisations are key to reducing transaction costs for farmers and are a valuable resource for collaboration;

S.whereas labour challenges, characterised by lower incomes, high occupational safety and health risks and precarious employment conditions, persist in agriculture;

T.whereas informal online and physical sales channels, fraudulent practices, counterfeit products and misleading labelling compromises the integrity and fairness of the EU’s food supply chain;

U.whereas in 2020, the average age of farmers in the EU was 57, with only 12 % under the age of 40, and of this younger group only 2.5 % were women7;

Securing strategic autonomy, fair competition and long-term viability

1.Stresses that the future of EU agriculture depends on the EU’s ability to simultaneously pursue competitiveness, sustainability, resilience and fairness;

2.Regrets both the proposed CAP budget reduction within the 2028-2034 MFF and the single fund approach;

3.Underlines that a competitive agricultural sector must enable farmers to earn a fair and stable income;

4.Underlines that farm viability is the foundation of resilience and calls for CAP support to better reflect inflationary pressures and sectoral specificities;

5.Calls for measures to address rising production costs, including short-term financial support and long-term strategies to enhance domestic production capacity;

6.Calls on the Commission to ensure that its trade policy delivers a truly level playing field for EU farmers by fully aligning all trade agreements with the EU’s sanitary and phytosanitary, social and environmental and animal welfare standards, thereby preventing unfair competition;

7.Urges the Commission to strengthen the EU’s food security and sovereignty and strategic autonomy, including through sector-specific support, a European preference and reduced dependency on external suppliers for key raw materials such as fertilisers;

Overcoming structural barriers, sustaining rural communities and enhancing sustainability

8.Calls on the Commission and the Member States to address barriers to land access and use, including high land prices, land fragmentation and succession challenges;

9.Emphasises that modernisation and digitalisation in agricultural production must be adequately financed and remain inclusive, and calls for strengthened advisory services, training and knowledge-sharing systems;

10.Calls for stronger investment in local and regional processing and storage capacity and infrastructure;

11.Calls for increased support for rural areas and LEADER, stronger involvement of local and regional authorities and the application of ‘rural proofing’;

12.Stresses the importance of strengthening crisis management instruments, including a reinforced crisis reserve and expanded risk management tools;

13.Calls for investments in irrigation, water storage, improved water efficiency, and climate adaptation measures;

14.Stresses that environmental sustainability and biodiversity are preconditions for resilience and calls for increased support for incentives for sustainable and agroecological practices;

Improving the position of farmers and farm workers and driving generational renewal

15.Calls on the Commission to strengthen the position of farmers in food supply chains;

16.Calls for strengthened market monitoring, improved traceability in sensitive sectors and enhanced transparency in price formation, while avoiding disproportionate burdens on smaller producers;

17.Calls for stronger support for producer organisations, cooperatives and other forms of collective action;

18.Emphasises the importance of fair and inclusive agricultural transition, including decent working conditions, strengthened social conditionality, fair wages, labour rights and access to social protection and farm relief services;

19.Stresses that CAP support must prioritise small and medium-sized farms, young and new farmers and those in rural areas;

20.Urges the Commission to mainstream generational renewal and gender equality across agricultural policies;

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21.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.