Purpose of the Dialogue
Launched in January 2024, the Strategic Dialogue on the future of EU agriculture is a new forum that aims to shape a shared vision for EU farming.
The Strategic Dialogue brings together key stakeholders from across the whole agri-food chain, including farmers, co-operatives, agri-food businesses, and rural communities; as well as non-governmental organisations and civil society representatives, financial institutions and academia.
Professor Peter Strohschneider has been appointed as chair, based on his longstanding experience, notably as chair of the Federal government of Germany's "Commission for the Future of Agriculture".
Developing a joint understanding
The Dialogue is crucial for developing a joint understanding of the future EU farming and food system. It tackles the following challenges and opportunities:
- How can we give our farmers, and the rural communities they live in, a better perspective, including a fair standard of living?
- How can we support agriculture within the boundaries of our planet and its ecosystem?
- How can we make better use of the immense opportunities offered by knowledge and technological innovation?
- How can we promote a bright and thriving future for Europe's food system in a competitive world?
The Dialogue is an opportunity to hear the perspectives, ambitions, concerns and solutions of farmers and other key stakeholders from across the agri-food chain, with the aim to find a common ground for the future of the Union’s agri-food sector.
Find out more from the chair of the Strategic Dialogue:
- The objectives of the discussion
- The steps of this process
- The challenges ahead
Find out more about what the EU does on agriculture.
Participant organisations
- Agroecology Europe (AEEU)
- The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC)
- BirdLife Europe (BirdLife)
- Conseil Européen des Jeunes Agriculteurs (CEJA)
- European Liaison Committee for Agriculture and agri-food trade (CELCAA)
- European agri-cooperatives (COGECA)
- European farmers (COPA)
- European Association of Co-operative Banks (EACB)
- European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC)
- The European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
- European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT)
- European Investment Bank (EIB)
- European LEADER Association for Rural Development (ELARD)
- European Landowners' Organization (ELO)
- European Agricultural Research Initiative (EURAGRI)
- EuroCommerce: retail and wholesale (EuroCommerce)
- Eurogroup for Animals
- European Association of Bio Industries (EuropaBio)
- Euroseeds
- European Food Banks Federation (FEBA)
- Fertilizers Europe
- FoodDrinkEurope
- Food Services Europe (FSE)
- European Employers' Group of Professional Agricultural Organisations (GEOPA)
- Greenpeace Europe
- International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements EU Regional Group (IFOAM Organics Europe)
- Rural Youth Europe
- Slow Food
- Wageningen University
Dates of the plenary meetings
- First plenary meeting25 January 2024
- Second plenary meeting11-12 March 2024
- Third plenary meeting22-23 April 2024
- Fourth plenary meeting20-21 June 2024
- Fifth plenary meeting9-10 July 2024
On 11 and 12 March, the second plenary meeting of the Strategic Dialogue on the future of EU Agriculture took place in Brussels. Launched on 25 January by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the Strategic Dialogue is currently fully operational, with the active participation of 29 stakeholders coordinated under the chairmanship of Professor Peter Strohschneider.
Simplification of farmers' administrative burden
The Commission has taken actions taken to respond to farmers’ concerns and it was directed specifically at farmers to identify the administrative burden and complexity stemming from common agriculture policy (CAP) rules as well as other rules for food and agriculture, both in relation to their application at national level and also to the recording and reporting obligations linked to them.
The Commission also launched two surveys:
- a survey on unfair trading practices where farmers and all smaller suppliers across the food supply chain could share their views on their experience with unfair trading practices, and
- a survey on simplification which gathered farmers' views on simplifying certain rules and procedures.
