Name: Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development Ordinary meeting
Uploaded: 2026-09-03T07:05:54+00:00
Duration: 12914 s

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development Ordinary meeting

3 September 2026

Contents updated on 3 Sept 2026

The Chair opens the AGRI meeting and DG AGRI presents the new EU protein action plan, detailing its pillars, the 2035 EU-sourced feed benchmark, and links to CAP post‑2027 and wider strategic autonomy goals.

00:03 - 02:07

Speaker 1

So good morning, good morning, good morning everybody. So it's 9:05 and I think it's time to slowly start. Good morning, good morning everybody. So let me start, let me at the first welcome you here, good morning everybody and I'm going to start. On 7th July the Commission launched the action plan for resilience, strategic autonomy and sustainability of the EU protein system that we'll be discussing today.

The plan integrates policy, research and practical efforts to create a more autonomous and sustainable EU protein system while diversifying sources of imports. A resilient and sustainable protein system will not contribute to the EU objectives of food security and energy but will also create new opportunities in rural areas, contribute to the climate neutrality and accelerate implementation of objectives established in the recent EU bioeconomy strategy and the fertilizer action plan. The objective is to ensure that the share of protein from oilseeds and protein crops originating from the EU and used as feed in the EU, which was 25.8% in 25, will reach 35% in 35. I am therefore grateful to Pierre Bascou from DG AGRI for joining us to present the Commission's proposal. So Mr. Bascou, you have eight minutes now for your speech.

Good morning.

02:07 - 10:14

Speaker 2

Thank you very much, Madam Chair, good morning to everybody. I would like to start my intervention by thanking you for convening I think this exchange of views on the, as you mentioned it, the action plan for resilience, strategic autonomy and sustainability of the EU protein system and for this in order to present I think the key features I think of this action plan I will use and the support I think of a PowerPoint presentation. So the plan was adopted on the 7th of July 2026, so a few weeks ago, together with the EU livestock strategy and I have to say I think the two documents tackle a pressing challenge that is how to secure a resilient, a competitive and a sustainable protein supply chain for both plant protein and animal protein. And the protein plan aims in particular at increasing our strategic autonomy by expanding sustainable EU protein supply, aims also at improving the resilience and the competitiveness of the protein systems through diversified supply chains, innovation and circularity. It aims also, it aims also at stimulated demand and local solutions and in particular food demand and last objective is to align I think the development, the resilience and this sustainability of this EU protein system with EU climate, bioeconomy, environmental and food security goals.

So let me focus I think on the first pillar of the plan that is about boosting EU protein production. And the plan encourages using the tools I think of the CAP, of the Common Agricultural Policy, including to promote legumes and soya, prioritizing you know crops suited I think to local conditions, and this is something very important. Also to support the value chain, so storage, processing infrastructure and contracts to de-risk the farmers' transition. And also to support extensive systems where this is appropriate, with in particular a focus on organic and grass-fed extensive systems. So the success I think of these CAP tools identified in the protein action plan to boost EU production will largely depend on how effectively they are designed in the CAP post-2027, so I think the legislative framework which is now currently being examined I think by the co-legislators, the European Parliament and the Council, and also how it will be implemented I think by the Member States, and this will be a key condition.

And in this regard, Member States will be encouraged through recommendations to include measures in their NRP plans that incentivize plant protein production, investment in the value chain, but also I have to underline that I think the European Competitiveness Fund could and should also play an important role, in particular in the development of the value chain. So this is for the first pillar. The second pillar of the plan focuses on the resilience and competitiveness of protein supply chains. It promotes greater efficiency in livestock systems and feeding strategy. It promotes diversified imports, and in particular stronger partnership you know with suppliers such as Ukraine.

It promotes also closer alignment of sustainability standards for imports and contributing to strengthening our competitiveness. And here also I think the CAP post-2027 can support I think better links between livestock, livestock production and the regional or local feed production systems. The plan also addresses dependence on imported feed additives, starting I think with a study on the associated risks and possible mitigation measures, since you know we are highly dependent only from a few import sources I think for these feed additives, and it will be important that we manage to reduce I think this dependence and reduce this vulnerability. The plan also promotes circularity to cut waste, to cut imports, while the upcoming review of the Renewable Energy Directive will assess how to boost the EU sustainable biofuel and feedstock production. The plan also proposes I think some actions I think on the demand side, and this is what you see on the slide on the left-hand side, in order to support wider consumer choices for diversified diets, and this based on different tools at both national and EU level in order to stimulate I think this demand.

And on the slide I think we mention in particular I think the possibility to developing you know origin labelling, developing also the improvement of the food environment for our consumers, improving the uptake of sustainability criteria in public procurement, this is what we are currently working on, and also relying on awareness campaigns, for instance through highlighting I think the health and the environmental benefits of pulses and of consumption of protein crops. And together with collaboration and knowledge transfer among actors, I want to also underline that the EU research and innovation need also to be further developed I think beyond I think what currently exists, meaning I think the 190 million euros which are already invested in the development of protein for the EU.

And this is particularly relevant for plant breeding, for seed development, for fertilizer reduction, for sustainable crop protection, and also all the developments related I think to the value chain. Clearly, investment in developing technologies to better valorize biomass, by including residues and byproduct in feed, also need to continue in cooperation I think with the private sector, and this will allow to fully exploit I think the the benefit and the potential I think of the bioeconomy for our protein system. Finally, I would like to mention I think the fifth pillar, sorry, of our of our work, that relates I think to the greater the need I think for greater policy coordination and I would say coordination between I think the wide range I think of EU policies, in particular related to the CAP, the competitiveness, research and innovation, I mentioned them, but also energy policy, cohesion, environment, climate, trade, health, etc., etc. So we need to improve this coordination I think between the different policies. We need also to improve the the relation and the coordination between actors, private and public.

Here we talk about a strategy with of course I think a strong focus on what we can do in term of public authorities at EU level, EU level. It can be complemented by also initiatives at national level, and there's a lot of protein action plan, you know, at national level. But the private sector, the private stakeholders have a real role, not only in the in the primary sector, but also for the rest of the chain. And clearly I think the next MFF, so the next multi-annual financial framework, will create and should create opportunities to enhance I think this synergy between these different policies and also create I think opportunities for synergies for the development of the value chain among actors, and this I think through this national, regional and partnership plan. So the Commission I think will also check, and this is what you mentioned, Madam Chair, I think the and monitor progress in the development of our protein strategic autonomy with a benchmark, I think, you know, this is an aspirational benchmark that we have set at 35% of high protein feed that would be what we come and grown I think in the EU by 2035.