From vulnerability to vitality: toward an open, fair, sustainable, and resilient Common Agricultural Policy

Geopolitical shocks, supply chain disruptions, and climate pressures have laid bare just how exposed Europe's food system is — from its dependence on imported fertilizers and plant proteins, to the fragility of global trade routes that European farmers rely on, and an increasingly competitive global marketplace. Yet crisis also creates clarity.

This conference brings together leading voices from EU institutions, the agriculture sector, and civil society to ask: can Europe turn its current vulnerabilities into the foundation for a more resilient, competitive, and fair agri-food policy?

Across three high-level debates, participants will wrestle with how to make the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) fit for a global age, how to manage trade-offs between feeding Europe and feeding the world, and how to turn enlargement from a strategic challenge into a strategic opportunity.

With both EU budget and CAP negotiations underway and geopolitical fault lines reshaping global supply chains, now is the time to ask what an open, fair, and resilient European agri-food policy should look like? 

Programme

08.30–09.00 | Arrival and coffee

09.00–09.15 | Welcome

Lykke Friis, Director, Think Tank EUROPA
Søren Søndergaard, President, Danish Agriculture & Food Council

09.15 – 09.25 | Introductory keynote

Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle, Director of Strategy and Policy Analysis, DG Agri, European Commission

09.25 – 10.10 | Moderated conversation on “A CAP fit for a geopolitical age”

In an uncertain world, the Commission has a vision for an agricultural sector that bolsters food security, while supporting economic competitiveness, building bridges between urban and rural areas, and achieving climate and
environmental sustainability. The key instrument to address all these challenges is the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The CAP needs to protect European competitiveness but also address the social challenges facing the sector. This panel sets the scene for the conference and asks how the Commission’s proposal for the new CAP attempts to balance these priorities.

Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle, Director of Strategy and Policy Analysis, DG Agri, European Commission
Wiebeke Warneck, Deputy General-Secretary, EFFAT (TBD)
Søren Søndergaard, President, Danish Agriculture & Food Council
Lars Aagaard, Member of the Danish Parliament & former Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities, the Moderates

10.10 – 10.40 | Break 

10.40 – 10.50 | Introductory keynote

Matthias Jorgensen, Acting Director for Trade with the Americas and
Agriculture, DG Trade, European Commission

10.50 – 11.35 | Moderated conversation on “Feeding Europe and feeding the world?”

EU agriculture is a global exporting powerhouse. Yet, it faces increased global competition and regulatory divergences. At the same time, there is a growing pressure on critical supply chains including for energy, feed and fertilizer. Against this backdrop, how should the EU’s agricultural sector approach its trading relationship to third countries? What have we learned from previous trade agreements, and what is needed to maintain a competitive and fair global trading relationship? 

Matthias Jorgensen, Acting Director for Trade with the Americas and
Agriculture, DG Trade, European Commission
Tiffanie Stephani, European Government Relations and External
Communications, Yara Europe
Hanne Søndergaard, CEO, Arla Foods
Rasmus Nordqvist, MEP, Greens/EFA (TBC)

11.35 – 11.45 |  Introductory keynote

Marie Bjerre, Member of the Danish Parliament & former Minister of European Affairs, Venstre