Insight by Dirk Van Ham, Secretary General of FEDIMA.
Read it also in Fedima's 2023/2024 Annual Report.
The 2024 European elections were set to play a pivotal role in shaping a myriad of policies that affect Member States and beyond, including food policy. As voters across Europe cast their ballots, they were not just determining a new European political landscape, but also setting the course for future regulations on food safety and security, energy market, sustainability standards, and public health initiatives.
The elected representatives and the composition of the European Parliament will drive decisions that impact everything from energy subsidies to food labelling laws, and from trade agreements to environmental sustainability goals.
Wary of the interconnectedness of political decisions and the everyday lives of European citizens, the Bread Initiative, of which Fedima is a longstanding member, has put forward a set of key requests in a vision paper that should guide EU policy making during the next European Parliament term.
With one united voice, we ask for the cooperation of Brussels decision-makers in making sure that our sector can continue being able to put our bread on the table of European citizens and ensure the social and environmental benefits coming from our activities.
The re-elected European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, has already called out the strategic importance of the EU agri-food sector in her Political Guidelines 2024-2029, and engaged with FoodDrinkEurope to shape a Vision for Agriculture and Food, including a strong and competitive food and drink sector.
Food security, a streamlined regulatory scene, sustainable transition, nutrition and health, affordable energy and attention to workforce: only by prioritising these aspects can the European bread value chain keep bread on the table.