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What the Agricultural Sector Expects from the Competitiveness Compass

By January 21, 2025February 4th, 2025No Comments

The European agriculture is at a defining moment for innovation and sustainability. The Competitiveness Compass provides a strategic direction, emphasising the need to address the existing challenges and build a foundation for a sustainable, and innovative future.

Driving agricultural competitiveness requires opening the door to innovation, attracting investments through impactful solutions and fostering collaboration. By focusing on sustainability, productivity and resilience, the Competitiveness Compass can secure a thriving future for European agriculture.

Accelerating Innovation

Innovation lies at the heart of competitiveness. Yet, outdated regulatory frameworks create unnecessary obstacles, delaying the adoption of cutting-edge tools and slowing the transition to greener and more resilient agricultural practices. By identifying and addressing these barriers, Europe can create a dynamic environment where advancements in biopesticides, precision agriculture, and plant biotechnology can be deployed efficiently, keeping pace with global markets.

Investing in the Toolbox


The future of agriculture relies on robust investment. Our sector is stepping up, committing €10 billion to digital and precision technologies and €4 billion to biopesticides by 2030, alongside continuous investment in modern chemical pesticides and plant biotechnology. However, public investment in critical infrastructure, such as data networks that underpin precision agriculture, lags behind.

Integrating Partnerships and Practices

Collaboration is a cornerstone of success. Closing the innovation gap requires policymakers, research institutions, and the private sector to work together to turn challenges into opportunities. By prioritiszing research and development and integrating global best practices, Europe can strengthen its agricultural productivity and sustainability, positioning itself as a global leader in digital and sustainable farming.

The agricultural sector is ready to play its part, but success depends on the alignment of regulatory, financial, and collaborative frameworks with the ambitions of the Competitiveness Compass.

A Call to Action

As our Director General states:
“Innovation is key to Europe’s competitive edge. Yet outdated rules are holding us back. A streamlined, science-based framework is crucial to adopting more sustainable and greener, more resilient tools at the pace seen in other parts of the world. It’s time to cut the red tape and unlock Europe’s full potential.”

Accelerating innovation, investing in new tools and infrastructure and fostering collaboration are key to enhancing support the competitiveness of European agriculture. Together, we can build a sustainable and thriving future for the sector.