EC President delivers State of the Union Speech - 10 September

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen mentions food security and farmer support in her State of the Union (SOTEU) speech on September 10. Von der Leyen said European farmers and fishers are "the key to our food security," highlighting reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) aimed at less bureaucracy and increased trust. She announced a "ringfenced" income support budget for farmers under the next Multiannual Financial Framework, with top-ups possible from national and regional funds. Von der Leyen also pledged a boost in the EU promotion budget to launch a new "Buy European Food" campaign, but specific details on scale, duration, and budget for the campaign were not provided.

Trade policy was a significant element. Von der Leyen emphasized "robust safeguards" in EU trade agreements-referencing Mercosur and United States deals specifically-to protect farmers from unfair competition. She assured that the Commission is prepared to offer compensation if necessary and will review the implementation of the EU's unfair trading practices legislation. The president stated Europe's recent US trade agreement puts EU producers at an advantage and affirmed that the EU will continue to set its own regulatory standards independently.

Farmers' challenges-including high input costs, competition, and low incomes-were cited as justification for CAP simplification and support, and promised to "take action wherever needed" on unfair trading practices inside the EU and stated that farmers have a right to earn a fair profit.