Martin Hansen at the EU Council: new food security strategy and farmer protection

Luxembourg's Minister of Agriculture, Food and Viticulture, Martine Hansen, attended the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels on 24 February 2025. She discussed with European colleagues the new EU food security strategy presented by the new Commissioner for Agriculture Christoph Hansen, which aims to strengthen EU sovereignty in the agricultural sector and support farmers.

Martine Hansen supported a comprehensive approach to food security that emphasises the strategic role of agriculture for EU sovereignty. She noted that the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) should address several key priorities:

• Renewal of generations in agriculture by incentivising young farmers.
• Motivating farmers to achieve environmental and climate goals through incentive measures.
• Protecting European farmers from unfair competition and simplifying bureaucratic procedures according to the principle of "collect data once, use it repeatedly".
• Maintaining the CAP budget at a level that effectively addresses food security challenges.

The Minister emphasised that the promotion of bio-pesticides and strict standards for residual pesticides will be priorities for Luxembourg's policy, as this is important both to protect the interests of consumers and to support farmers who seek fair production conditions. She supported the European Commission's initiative to extend European production standards to imported agricultural products, especially in the area of pesticides and animal welfare.

During the EU Council discussions, the initiative of the "rural test" - an assessment of politicians in terms of rural development - was considered. Martin Hansen emphasised the importance of avoiding unnecessary bureaucracy and gave the example of the LEADER initiative, which has already proved successful in Luxembourg. She believes that supporting localised initiatives and a flexible approach will allow for a more effective integration of rural areas into the EU strategic plans.

The Minister drew attention to the turbulent situation in the agricultural sector caused by the military conflict in Ukraine as well as by the epidemic of bluetongue in cattle. Although markets remain relatively stable, Luxembourg farmers feel a lack of security and stability. Martine Hansen emphasised that the EU should strengthen cooperation on vaccination and support the livestock sector. She welcomed the European Commission's focus on livestock issues in the new agricultural strategy.