Ahead of the 12 February EU Leaders’ Retreat, signatory organizations representing the European agri-food chain called for agriculture and food to be placed at the core of the EU’s competitiveness strategy. The joint statement stresses that simplification, regulatory clarity and investment are essential to safeguard resilience and strategic independence. 

Agri-food organizations have urged EU leaders to ensure that Europe’s competitiveness agenda firmly prioritises agriculture and food, warning that growing regulatory complexity and administrative burdens are putting the entire value chain under strain.

In a joint statement issued ahead of the EU Leaders’ Retreat, the signatories underlined that the agri-food chain generates more than €1 trillion in gross value added annually and plays a critical role in food security, economic stability and geopolitical resilience. They argued that outdated rules, legal uncertainty and slow permitting processes are delaying investment and weakening innovation across the sector.

The organizations welcomed the European Commission’s 2024–2029 commitment to reduce administrative burdens and modernize legislation but stressed that further action is needed through the ongoing Omnibus process. They called for simplification, streamlined regulation and targeted investment to reinforce competitiveness, circularity and strategic autonomy.

The statement aligns with the Commission’s Vision for Agriculture and Food and comes amid broader debates on Europe’s economic security and regulatory reform agenda.