European Commission - Speech [Check Against Delivery] Opening Remarks by Commissioner Hansen at the Farmers' Congress in Sweden Stockholm, 14 October 2026 Ladies and gentlemen, When I look back at my almost 2 years of experience as Commissioner for Agriculture, I do not first think about legislation and strategies we drafted, or negotiations concluded. I think about what matters the most, people. I think about the fa...
European Commission - Speech [Check Against Delivery] Opening Remarks by Commissioner Hansen at the Farmers' Congress in Sweden Stockholm, 14 October 2026 Ladies and gentlemen, When I look back at my almost 2 years of experience as Commissioner for Agriculture, I do not first think about legislation and strategies we drafted, or negotiations concluded. I think about what matters the most, people. I think about the farmers I met across Europe. Across all twenty-seven Member States. I am no stranger to farming myself, you know that I was recently ploughing, in Ireland and in France. I know firsthand the realities, of what it means to care for animals, or work the fields, to feed a family on that income and the worries this brings. Yet, I still had a lot to learn about our differences. You only truly understand the dimensions of European farming when you stand next to a farmer in Portugal or Spain who has spent their entire life working on the field that was just flushed away by flood or a greenhouse that was blown away by a violent storm. To listen to farmers in Hungary or Slovakia telling you about the anxiety caused by animal disease or rising input costs. You understand it when a young person in Sweden tells you that becoming a farmer means choosing between having children or caring for animals. These conversations stayed with me. But I have also many positive stories, people with passion for their land, animals and farming. Farmers engaging in biogas production, farmers testing new machinery and technologies. New crops like Avocados in Sicily. We have lived through very challenging years, especially this one. It seems that our agenda is driven by crisis and uncertainty. Even when we set the course of travel of our policy, external shocks come. I cannot promise you much easier years ahead. But in all this hardship, there was always light and there was dedication and we found solutions together. These tests have also shown that we have a resilient sector, able to adapt and continue delivering for Europe. What is important is that we stay united, we preserve our common policy, while making sure we reap the benefits modernisation and innovation bring. The last two years have also taught me that we have a lot of educating to do about our policy. I heard some unacepptable comments lately that did not make me happy. It seems that when some people think of the CAP, they associate it with the old policy created decades ago, a policy designed for a different time, a different Europe, and different challenges. They say it is a traditional or legacy policy, still important, but no longer central to Europe of today. A policy of the past. My reply is clear: our common policy has a long history, but that does not make it a policy of the past. The CAP is a policy of the future because the challenges facing European agriculture are challenges of the future. Especially when looking at geopolitical pressure. Our strategic dependencies. Climate change. Global food security. New technologies. Security threats. An ageing farming population. Rural depopulation. Unstable global markets. These are not yesterday's problems but today's challenges that need modern solutions, and farmers must be a part of these solutions. Energy crisis: we contribute through biofuels, bioenergy, biogas, biomethane, solar power. This summer I visited a biorefinery here in Sweden, showcasing how food, feed and fuel production can go hand-in-hand. Better revenues Economic security: we provide not only food but also jobs, prosperity and growth. Agri-food sector is the largest manufacturing sector and employer in the Union. We are talking about 30 million jobs. Physical security: as guardians of land, farmers secure presence and economic activities in border regions, including Arctic areas of our Union. Farmers provide food and no army marches without it. I could go on and on. But I know that here I am preaching to the converted. Ladies and Gentlemen, I stand firmly behind my statement that we are a policy of the future. But the Common Agricultural Policy is not simply about protecting what agriculture was. It is also being honest about what agriculture must become. It is about connecting food security with resilience. Connecting farmers with innovation. Connecting environmental protection with modern agricultural production. And connecting today's farmers with the next generation. The CAP has its roots in the past, but its purpose must be to prepare Europe for the future. Anyone who questions the added value of having a Common agricultural policy is wrong! Last summer is the latest proof. For over six decades, Europe delivered for the farmers. Together, we are stronger than if we go down the path of renationalizing the policy. The C of “Common” in the CAP is crucial. It gives security, stability and predictability that only Europe can deliver. I strongly advocated that when the contours of this budget were prepared. We succeeded in protecting what matters the most, stable income, but clearly that job is not finished yet. Latest developments show that there is understanding of how significant CAP funds are and they should not be further cut. But the final word has not been said yet, you heard about the latest development in the Council. I will continue to advocate for us, for our farmers! How do we prepare for the future? I see three priorities: We must become more resilient from within to ensure a long-term future for our sector We must be resilient towards the outside, and be ready and able to defend our food sovereignty and economy We must modernize and innovate, future-proof our sector! Let me start with resilience from within. Ladies and gentlemen, European agriculture needs the capacity to withstand climate change, economic shocks and market volatility. We must make sure public support helps farms prepare for future risks as well as to meet present needs. Crisis management and partial compensation will not cut it anymore. It is crucial but not enough. We must plan, prepare and adapt! We have clear priorities for the next year: water, risk management and innovation! Commission president announced the Water initiative in her State of the Union speech. It is crucial. We should guide the Member States to invest in efficient irrigation infrastructure, water reservoirs, rainwater harvesting and water reuse. Innovation and new technologies will allow us to optimise the use of water. Future national plans should combine the CAP, NRP and Competitiveness Fund to come up with a true water masterplan for Europe, including new water infrastructure. We should support drought-resistant crops, crop diversification, agroforestry and soil conservation. Second priority will be risk management. This cannot be an option anymore, it is a must and should not be voluntary like certain Member States argue for. We will work with Member States to expand risk-management tools for droughts, floods, heatwaves and other extreme weather events. Take an example of insurance. Only a small fraction of our production is ensured. Not available, too expensive… These are the words I hear from the farmers. We are working on developing an instrument on insurance and reinsurance that will aim to bridge this gap! Resilience is also economic. Ensuring stable income and profitability of the sector to be able to invest back into sustainability. It is also social. This is why vital rural areas offering adequate services and infrastructures is another must in our policies. Resilient on the outside European agriculture has experienced many pressures in recent years. We learned many lessons: We have learned that dependencies can become vulnerabilities. We have learned that supply chains cannot always be taken for granted. And we have learned that resilience must be built before a crisis, not during it. We all know that topics like security and defence are high on the political agenda. I agree fully. But when we discuss European security, we should not ask only: Can Europe defend itself? We should also ask: can Europe continue feeding itself ? How do we keep civilian presence in our border areas which are largely rural and remote? We need to work on our economic security and strategic autonomy if we want to maintain farming in Europe for decades to come. Strategic autonomy means : Functioning agricultural supply chains and trade diversification, reliable partners we can count on! Fair trade on a level playing field! This means also no cutting corners to EU accession. Fair rules for all! EU's ability to withstand disruptions to fertiliser and other essential inputs by using our existing resources and bringing back the production to Europe. EU's ability to protect its land and manage foreign ownership, fight land abandonment and depopulation! Protect its farmers and make sure European funds are spent on active European farmers, not foreign oligarchs and sheiks! Finally, how do we ensure our policy is future-proof? The Agriculture is evolving rapidly. Precision farming, satellite monitoring, artificial intelligence, robotics, and improved crop varieties offer opportunities to increase efficiency, reduce waste, and manage resources more sustainably. Agriculture of today is becoming more digital, more precise and more knowledge-intensive. Major opportunities are coming our way, we should embrace them. The CAP should help farmers access these technologies through investment support, research partnerships, training, and effective agricultural advisory services. But innovation must be accessible to all. Small and medium-sized farms should not be left behind because they cannot afford expensive equipment or lack the digital infrastructure needed to use it. But no technology can ever replace a real farmer, a farmer who knows his fields, smells his crops, feels his animals. Real opportunities will not come if we look at farmers in isolation or we think of funds in isolation. We need to focus much more on value-chain projects. I will make sure we work with you and the Member States to make the best use of upcoming opportunities that Horizon and Competitiveness Fund offer! Ladies and Gentlemen, I have always stood for a certain idea of European agriculture: an agriculture that produces, becomes more competitive, that protects its farmers and that prepares the future. In the face of global uncertainty, our ability to act together is a strength. Let us not give an inch. We do not know if we will be using a cell phone or driving a car in twenty years, but we know that we will have to feed ourselves. No Member State, however powerful, can meet on its own the food, climate and geopolitical challenges that lie ahead. But together, we can make European agriculture a pillar of our sovereignty, our competitiveness and our security. Farmers do not expect only a vision from us as decision-makers. They expect decisions, results and trust. I am very much aware of that. I want to assure you that this is the spirit in which I will continue my work: With constant attention to realities on the ground, with the will to support those who feed us, Because defending agriculture means preparing our future. SPEECH/26/2162 <@rel_link@>
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