COPA COGECA

COPA COGECA, CEJA Young Farmers , European Federation of Food, Agriculture, and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT) and Geopa* representing farmers and their cooperatives, workers' unions and employers in the European agricultural sector, are strongly opposed to the ratification of the #EUMercosur agreement. The overall outcome of the EU-Mercosur FTA negotiations would expose the EU agri-food sector to unfair competition with negative consequences for farmers’ livelihoods, wages, working conditions and employment. What's more, the current draft doesn't contribute to raising social and environmental standards in Mercosur countries and increases the risk of breaking up regional value chains in those countries. Farm workers and farmers cannot accept that the agri-food sector is treated as a bargaining chip to promote the export of other goods, without taking into account the serious economic, social and environmental impacts that such decisions have on the primary sector. Full Press Release on our website>>>https://lnkd.in/dAtBR_J

It's a wrap for the 11th edition of the EU #FarmersCongress24 - held in Bucharest in collaboration with our Romanian 🇷🇴 members🤝 With 400+ participants engaging in 2 full days of workshops and high level panels on key challenges and ways forward - we conclude with a clear sense of direction for the next political term. ⏭️👨🌾🇪🇺 More in our PR 👉 bit.ly/3YlGDEN A special thank you to our amazing moderator Damien O Reilly , our team of interpreters that worked tirelessly to ensure the easiness of debate in 7 languages as well as our European 🇪🇺 and local sponsors for their support and valuble contributions to the discussions. Fertilizers Europe CropLife Europe Euroseeds CEMA FEFAC

Today we kicked off the 11th edition of the EU #FarmersCongress24 in Bucharest with day dedicated to the workshops on how agri-coops can aid the transition to sustainable and competitive agriculture through innovation and to key sustainable practices need to make such transition deliver a more resilient sector in the future. Organised in collaboration with our Romanian members - the Congress aims to engage COPA COGECA members in key discussions necessary to deliver a vision for a more competitive and sustainable sector in the future!

🛑 As the perspective of concluding negotiations on the EU-Mercosur trade agreement at the G20 meeting in Rio de Janeiro gets closer a proposal has emerged in Brussels to set up a “compensation fund” aimed at pacifying European farmers. For our sectors, this appears more like a fake quick fix rather than a genuine solution. It fails to address key concerns, particularly regarding the impact on sensitive sectors and the lack of reciprocity in production standards under the current terms of the agreement. (...) Instead of distracting the debate with such proposals, the European Commission should instead be seriously taking on board the conclusions on agri-food trade raised by the report on the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture, that underlines the need for the Commission to “undertake a comprehensive review of its negotiations strategies” as well as the need for higher level of reciprocity. Any other approach would jeopardize our sectors, already weakened by a difficult climatic and economic context and would risk exacerbating the tensions expressed by the European agricultural sector at the start of 2024. Read our Joint Statement (AVEC EU Poultry, CEFS (EU SUGAR), CEPM, C.I.B.E. - International Confederation of European Beet Growers, EUWEP) on our website>>> https://lnkd.in/dAtBR_J

🍎 OPINION PIECE by Luc Vanoirbeek, Chair of COPA COGECA Working Party on fruit and Vegetables and Secretary General of the Federation of Belgian Horticultural Cooperatives: "Many European consumers are often unaware of the vital role Producer Organisations (PO) play in the agricultural sector. Yet, in my sector of fruits and vegetables, they form the backbone of our marketing efforts. As of 2022, the European Commission has recorded 1,536 producer organisations and 26 transnational producer organisations in this sector.  (...) From 2023, POs must gradually implement their operational programmes under the new CAP by 2025. After one year of experience with the new CAP, I’ve observed that some provisions are poorly developed, unclear or open to interpretation. The specific characteristics of POs in the fruit and vegetable sector are not adequately considered in the horizontal provisions of operational programmes, and this misinterpretation of subsidiarity can have serious negative effects. (...) I fear that by 2025, many small and medium-sized producer organisations in the fruit and vegetable sector may be unable to establish new multiannual operational programmes under the new CAP rules or decide not to. This could result in a significant reduction in the volume of fruit and vegetables marketed through POs - a step backwards in every sense! " Read the full piece on our website >>> https://lnkd.in/dAtBR_J

Happy International #RuralWomenDay2024 👩🌾 To honor the day and kick off the #Inspirers initiative, Chair of our Women’s committee Francesca Gironi shares her career path to becoming a #womenfarmer, why she loves her job, and the importance of seeing more 👩 women in #agriculture! 👇 Corteva Agriscience GrassCealing - EU project

EVENT - SAVE THE DATE  💡 How can cooperatives shape a sustainable and competitive Europe?   As the EU prepares for a new political chapter, we face pressing socio-economic challenges: from boosting business competitiveness, to balancing sustainability and economic growth, to protecting democracy in uncertain times.     🤝 Cooperative enterprises are at the forefront, offering innovative solutions to current issues.      On Tuesday, 5 November, cooperative leaders from the industry, service, agri-food and forestry, retail, banking, and renewable energy sectors will gather at the European Parliament for the event "Cooperative Vision for a Sustainable and Competitive Europe: Priorities for the 2024-2029 EU Term", hosted by MEP Irene Tinagli      📅 Tuesday, 5 November     🕥 10:30 am - 1:00 pm    📍 European Parliament     Join us to discover how cooperatives drive innovation and support a sustainable, inclusive, and competitive Europe!     Register here by 25 October ➡ https://shorturl.at/46pai    Due to a limited number of seats, your spot will be confirmed after registration.    Tags:   CECOP Cooperatives Europe REScoop.eu  European Association of Co-operative Banks  Euro Coop  COPA COGECA 

🚨 JOINT STATEMENT 🚨 As discussions on the EU-Mercosur trade agreement resumed from October 7 to 9 in Brasília, our sectors once again reaffirm their strong opposition to the agreement, highlighting its potential repercussions on the EU agri-food supply chain. Since 2019, the European Commission has introduced significant legislative texts under the European Green Deal, such as the Fit for 55 package, the Nature Restoration Law, the Industrial Emissions Directive and others in pipeline. These initiatives which impact the future of European agriculture do not ensure reciprocity with our trade partners or coherence between internal and external policies. This creates an imbalance, giving competitors with weaker environmental regulations an unfair market advantage. Even with an additional sustainability instrument, its details remaining vague, it is clear that Mercosur countries are not in a position to adopt similar standards imposed on European farmers. We cannot accept an agreement that penalises EU producers for complying with these standards, while allowing imports from countries that do not face the same requirements. The conclusion of such an agreement would also go against the spirit of the strategic dialogue about the trade negotiations and it would send a terrible message to the agrifood community at the beginning of the new Ursula von der Leyen mandate. Read the full statement on our website >>> https://lnkd.in/dAtBR_J

🐝 Opinion Piece by Yvan Hennion, Beekeeper and Chairman of COPA COGECA Working Party on Honey. "My colleagues and I, have been consistently raising the alarm about the scandal of honey adulteration, and today, I feel compelled to speak out again because the situation has become catastrophic. (...) Without urgent support, european beekeepers won’t survive in this increasingly hostile market. If no action is taken, beekeeping could become little more than a hobby, and Europe risks losing its role as a key honey producer, becoming merely a hub for processing imported honey." Read the full opinion Piece on our website >>> https://lnkd.in/dAtBR_J

🍇 It is a topic that is receiving more and more attention: the EU wine sector is experiencing a particularly difficult time. As it is often the case in agriculture, there is no single cause, but rather a combination of factors. In this opinion piece, our Wine Working Party Chair, Luca Rigotti, who is also a grape producer in Italy, presents concrete measures that could be implemented at the European level, in his view, to help the sector regain momentum. Read this opinion piece on our website >>> https://lnkd.in/dAtBR_J