Agriculture and Food have always been at the heart of the European project, a pillar of our
economy, our security and our way of life. It is a strategic sector of the economy, be it at EU
or national level.

Taken together, the entire agrifood value chain generates more than €1 trillion in gross
value added to the EU economy, surpassing the economic footprint of other EU industries.

Every day, Europe’s farmers and agri-food actors provide citizens with safe, high-quality and
nutritious food, alongside feed, fuel and fibre. In doing so, they strengthen Europe’s
resilience, sustainability and stability in an increasingly uncertain geopolitical environment.

The signing organisations consider the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) a major
opportunity to mobilise investments in agriculture, food and the whole agri-food chain –
including its processing and manufacturing activities – within the future Multiannual
Financial Framework enabling deployment of key strategic investments for infrastructure,
services and skills focusing on strategic actions and reducing the investment gap of the
sector.

Achieving this potential requires a coherent framework that goes beyond agricultural
policy alone. Agriculture and the agri-food chain have a unique capacity to contribute to all
ECF priorities: clean transition and decarbonisation, digital transformation, health,
biotechnology, agriculture and bioeconomy, as well as security, defence and space.

This recognition must be reflected in the design and implementation of the ECF through
dedicated sufficient resources, appropriate governance and effective participation of
agricultural an agri-food chain actors.

For this reason, we are strongly concerned by the approach reflected in the draft ITRE
report, which would replace the European Commission’s proposed window on “Health,
Biotech, Agriculture and Bioeconomy” with a broader “Sustainable Prosperity” approach,
potentially limiting agriculture and food sectors’ direct access to ECF support.

At a time when the EU is seeking to strengthen its strategic autonomy, food security and
industrial capacity, reducing the place of agriculture and food sectors within the ECF
would send the wrong political signal and undermine one of Europe’s key strategic
sectors.

The agri-food chain is not only a beneficiary of competitiveness policies; it is an essential
contributor to them. Excluding agriculture and food from a clear and dedicated place
within the ECF would limit the Fund’s ability to deliver on its own objectives.

The Council’s recent Partial General Approach confirms the Commission’s original
approach with a dedicated Window “Health, Biotech, Agriculture and Bioeconomy”.

Similarly, the AGRI Committee Opinion and the more than 100 cross-party amendments
tabled to the draft ITRE report aim to improve the Commission proposal and the draft
ITRE Report by recognising the sector’s full potential to contribute to the ECF’s strategic
objectives – from growth, competitiveness, security – and ensuring that agriculture and
food are properly integrated into the Fund.

We ask the European Parliament to support the above approach: Investing in the EU’s
agriculture and food sectors across the whole agri food chain means investing in
Europe’s security, resilience, growth, and its future.

Europe needs to ensure that agriculture and food sectors receive the recognition they
require to continue contributing to Europe’s competitiveness and the future of the
European project.