The future of agriculture in the EU - assessing the state of agri-food policy and what could lie ahead for the next Commission
Conference on the future of agriculture in the EU: Assessing the state of agri-food policy and what could lie ahead for the next Commission.
The Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union – which kicked-off on January 1st, 2024 – not only comes at the tail-end of a hectic mandate for the European Commission in the agri-food policy space, but it also sits squarely in the run-up to the European Parliamentary elections.
The European Green Deal and especially its flagship Farm-to-Fork strategy have been subject to growing political contestation in the past years with a series of nail-biting votes on topics ranging from nature restoration to sustainable use of pesticides.
Meanwhile, the EU’s 2040 emission reduction target is fast approaching and there’s a perception that the agri-food sector needs to do more to pull its weight when it comes to reducing emissions.
Together, the Representation of Flanders and Think Tank EUROPA will take stock of the green transition in the agri-food sector and ask a group of experts what they think lies in stall for the coming Commission.
PROGRAMME
15:00: INTRODUCTION: By Dries Willems, General Representative of Flanders in the Nordic Countries, The Embassy of Belgium in Denmark
15:05: MODERATED CONVERSATION: The Belgian Presidency - priorities, perspectives, and take-aways from the Ghent symposium on the future of agriculture in the EU.
With Patricia De Clercq, Secretary General, Flanders Department of Agriculture and Sea Fisheries
15:20: PANEL DEBATE and Q&A: The future of agriculture in the EU -- assessing the state of agri-food policy and what could lie ahead for the next Commission.
Riyong Kim, Head of Programme for Sustainability Transitions, European Environmental Agency
Anna de Klauman, Deputy Director General, Danish Agricultural Agency
Patricia De Clercq, Secretary General, Flemish Agency for Agriculture & Fisheries
Niels Peter Nørring, Director for Climate, Sustainability, the Environment, and the EU, Danish Agricultural and Food Council
Isabel Paliotta, Policy Officer for Sustainable Food Systems, European Environmental Bureau
16:10: CONCLUDING REMARKS: With Dries Willems, General Representative of Flanders in the Nordic Countries, The Embassy of Belgium in Denmark
16:15: Networking & Refreshments
Moderator: Ditte Brasso Sørensen, Senior Analyst and Head of Analysis and Programming, Think Tank EUROPA.
