At a time when Europe is facing overlapping challenges—from geopolitical instability and economic and legal uncertainty to climate change and the changing dynamics of global trade—one thing is clear: food security is security. In other words, the EU cannot achieve true strategic autonomy without securing its agricultural sector. And the cornerstone of that security is a sound, common, and well-funded agricultural policy. But this architecture is under threat. The European Commission's proposal to centralize EU funding into a single fund may offer some fiscal flexibility, but it risks dissolving the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) into a broader framework with less focus, fewer guarantees, and no shared vision. Replacing the two-pillar CAP with a single national programming model would weaken the single market, delay essential investments, and create significant disparities between Member States, while threatening farmers' incomes, undermining sustainability, and jeopardizing the stability of the agri-food supply chain, even beyond EU borders.

Therefore, next Wednesday, July 16, Copa-Cogeca and FWA have organized a symbolic march for European agriculture to lobby for the future EU budget and the CAP, arguing that the EU budget is not just a technical debate, but a key political issue, especially for agriculture. Without a clear and protected budget line supporting the European agricultural framework, European agricultural policy could collapse like a house of cards. The multiple transitions required by the EU agricultural sector—environmental, digital, and economic—can only be achieved if adequately funded. "Therefore, we cannot accept the dissolution of the CAP into a single fund, any move towards further renationalization, or a rushed proposal for the next CAP presented in July alongside the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), especially without clarity regarding resources, governance, or adequate consultation with the agricultural sector," they argue.

The protest, which will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., will begin at Place du Luxembourg in the Belgian capital and culminate with a symbolic action in front of the Berlaymont building around 3:15 p.m.