Speeches

The European Commission presented the Communication on Access to Affordable Housing, a response to one of the most pressing needs of European citizens: access to housing.Since 2013, house prices in the EU have increased by more than 60%, while rents have increased on average by around 20%, with rent levels in urban areas even higher. This is particularly important for young people, who are increasingly finding it difficult to afford their own housing. The rise in housing costs influences their decisions on professional mobility, family formation and long-term stability, with direct implications also for demographic change in many regions of the European Union. Ensuring that young generations have access to decent and affordable housing is thus a strategic investment in Europe's social and economic future. With this plan, the European Union reaffirms its commitment to promoting social inclusion, territorial cohesion and equitable access to dignified, sustainable and affordable housing for all its citizens.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the conflict in the Middle East comes at an extremely difficult time for agriculture. Rising energy prices directly affect fertiliser production, and more expensive fertilisers mean higher costs for farmers and inevitably lower agricultural output. But the problems don't stop there. The increase in the price of diesel means higher costs for every hectare worked ‑ from ploughing and sowing to harvesting. We are at the very stage of spring sowing, when farmers have to enter the field. If access to fuel becomes difficult or too expensive, the risk to agricultural production and food security will become a painful reality for all of us. In this context, I call on the European Commission to closely monitor the evolution of markets and the level of fuel stocks, so that the activity of farmers, already under huge pressure, is not further affected. The Commission must be ready to intervene, including through compensatory mechanisms, to guarantee the continuity of the work of ‑ farmers who are fighting real battles for Europe's food security every day.

Madam Vice-President, ladies and gentlemen, poverty in Europe is increasingly hunger. In 2024, 9% of the European Union population could not afford a meal containing meat or fish every two days. In some Member States, this is above the 30% threshold. These figures show us a painful truth: the problem of access to food no longer belongs to others, to distant or developing countries. This is a reality here in the European Union. Rural areas remain consistently more at risk of poverty and food insecurity due to lower incomes and limited access to basic services. In this context, the CAP must be understood not only as a support policy for farmers, but as an essential instrument of economic, social and territorial cohesion through which the Union can combat this phenomenon. Investment in agriculture and basic services contributes directly to income stability and access to food. And when we talk about children, our responsibility is even greater. For many children in the European Union, the school meal is the only meal of the day. The school feeding scheme is not a secondary programme, but a vital intervention, which means equal opportunities in the future. That is why I call on the European Commission to ensure that the Anti-Poverty Strategy actively addresses hunger and that school nutrition programmes are adequately funded. The future of Europe is called into question when food insecurity affects children in particular.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the milk market is about to collapse in Europe, with dramatic consequences for all of us. In some regions, the purchase price decreased by more than 60% compared to last year, reaching well below the production price. For farmers, this is a death sentence: closing farms, hastily sold herds, unpaid loans and chain bankruptcies become daily realities. The disaster also hits modern farms, developed with European funds, which can no longer cover their current expenses. The crisis is complex: oversupply, under-processing into value-added products, higher feed prices or costs of complying with environmental requirements and animal diseases. I therefore call on the European Commission for strict monitoring and immediate action, with concrete tools: activation of the crisis reserve, storage solutions, stimulation of domestic consumption and accelerated promotion in international markets. The dairy cow represents the heavy livestock industry. We cannot therefore afford to reduce farm viability, lose production capacity and jeopardise European food security.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, three thousand slaughtered animals, six million euros in compensation. These are not figures from a statistic, but the cruel reality in which French and European farmers live following the outbreak of lumpy skin disease in cattle. The new outbreak on the border with Spain is not just a local problem, an isolated crisis and no health accident. It is the direct consequence of a lack of anticipation, delayed decisions and European policies that too often react only after the damage is already irreversible. But it is a major test for the European Commission and for our collective ability to protect European agriculture. The question is simple and uncomfortable: How prepared are we in reality for diseases that decimate populations, destroy businesses and endanger food security and the future of future generations? The war stops at the border. Diseases, however, do not. They ignore maps, treaties and trade conventions. Compensation can mitigate short-term losses, but it is not a solution. They don't save farms, they don't rebuild herds. We need effective and proportionate interventions that protect animal health, but without destroying farmers' incomes. It is all the more serious because the vaccine exists but has not been used for commercial reasons, for fear of the impact on relations with third countries. The result? The disease has spread uncontrollably, wreaking havoc in some states and arousing - and I stress - horror throughout the European Union and the world of farmers. This is clear evidence that current biosecurity measures are insufficient. Without a real vaccine-based prevention strategy, however, we will continue to passively witness the mass slaughter of animals, with devastating effects not only on farmers but also on the internal market and the commercial credibility of the European Union. It is therefore time for a paradigm shift, from crisis management through financial compensation, to prevention, anticipation and above all to political responsibility.

Mr Sieper, both large farmers and small farmers are equally concerned about respecting environmental standards and, at the same time, it is precisely the European Commission that has come and is today proposing, proposing and I am convinced that it will propose further, that even the large farmers you are talking about should be incentivised in terms of complying with these environmental standards, because, I repeat, farmers are aware that only in an indestructible communion will they really be able to ensure the sustainability of their farmers, regardless of their size.

Mr President, I, too, congratulate the rapporteurs on their work, but, dear colleagues, today we are trying to respond to historic challenges with a budget created for a world that no longer exists. It was designed for a stable, predictable Europe and not for a Europe facing simultaneously a war on the continent, a recent pandemic, record inflation, explosive energy prices. That is why the 2026 allocations need to be closer to reality and more flexible. From an agricultural perspective, the realities cannot be challenged: We had, and still have, farmers on the street. They face major challenges, ranging from geopolitical turbulence, extreme weather events, market volatility and unacceptable rises in production costs. The war in Ukraine has put and is putting huge pressure on European farmers, and frontline states such as Romania are feeling this pressure more, and the European Commission must take these realities into account. The European Union budget must guarantee a decent living for farmers if we are to maintain food security and ensure reasonable prices for consumers. Farmers, beyond their role in providing food, have a strategic mission: to fight and keep rural communities alive and to fight against the depopulation of the most isolated areas. But, Commissioner Serafin, for this we must understand one thing: We can't do more with less money. We can't do the things we set out to do if we're not predictable. That is why I ask the European Commission to come up with a proposal to make these funds, whether we are talking about cohesion or the Common Agricultural Policy Pillar 2, for development, predictable for this beneficiary, because otherwise you understand that we will not be able to respond to these challenges that we are facing.

Mr President, Mr Hansen, thank you for the proposal. We also thank colleagues Rodrigues and Imart for their work, but, dear colleagues, today we are talking about simplifying a policy that, unfortunately, we have complicated ourselves. We can analyse why we have come here, to the point where farmers have had to cry out their helplessness in the street, but it is not the time to look for the culprits, but to act concretely so that they can continue their work today and tomorrow, and especially not to repeat the mistakes of the past. Agriculture is not just about farmers, as is sometimes misunderstood in this room by some colleagues, but it is about what we call Europe's food security, which means food in sufficient quantities and especially at affordable prices for consumers. Although agriculture accounts for only 2% of our economy, this sector is vital. More than 8.7 million people work in agriculture to feed more than 450 million European citizens. However, the gains in the agricultural sector are 40% lower than in other economic sectors, which is why we need to continue the simplification process even more intensively. We must go further, stop taxing agricultural subsidies and defend the strengthening of the position of European farmers in the food supply chain. Whether we are talking about absolutely indispensable written contracts, renegotiation clauses or exemption from reporting for small farms, the rule must be clear: You can't give one hand to the farmers and take them with two others. You cannot impose bureaucratic burdens and at the same time reduce funding.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, European farmers are once again being put in difficulty in trade disputes. China imposes anti-dumping tariffs of up to 62% on European pork, which is a response to Europe's legitimate pressures in the automotive sector. But those who pay the price are our farmers, family farms, processors and rural communities. European farmers thus become a bargaining chip in a conflict unrelated to their work but directly threatening their income and stability. The consequences will be felt throughout the European Union, price drops on domestic markets, so, Commissioner - I also ask you to follow me, Commissioner - I ask you that the European executive adopts a firm position and immediately comes up with concrete support measures for this sector, but also with a unified trade strategy that reduces the European Union's vulnerability to external pressures. Europe must defend its farmers and send a clear message: We will never give in to commercial blackmail.

Madam President, Commissioner Fitto, cohesion policy is the heart of European solidarity. It must remain the tool to bridge gaps and support lagging regions. That is precisely why, Commissioner, I would like you to convey our very strong message within the College of Commissioners. We need a strong cohesion policy. We need an independent cohesion policy and we need an adequately funded cohesion policy. This is the only way to have a strong European Union. Because we live in complicated times, in a difficult geopolitical context, with border war, climate change, social and economic pressures, such as the housing crisis. However, this housing crisis needs a European response, as today's Member States have unfortunately demonstrated their inability to solve this problem. Doubling investment in affordable housing is not just a social gesture, Commissioner, but a response to the hope of a secure future that millions of young people and families expect from Europe.