In her annual State of the Union address, she remained committed to the course set by the European Green Deal and Climate Policy, including the resulting transitions.
In her speech, Von der Leyen – as expected – referred back to the starting point of her Commission, which in 2019 launched the Green Deal, initiating a turnaround that requires adjustments not only in agriculture and horticulture but across all industries. According to her, climate change increasingly makes it clear "that the planet has reached its boiling point."
Von der Leyen paid extensive attention to agricultural food production. "I am and remain convinced that agriculture and nature conservation can go hand in hand, in a way that is balanced with nature." She explicitly expressed her appreciation for "our farmers" and thanked them "for producing our daily healthy food." That task of the agricultural sector is the central premise of European agricultural policy," she said.
Promotion
In agricultural policy, "we need more dialogue and less polarization," Von der Leyen believes. She did not provide concrete details about her "strategic dialogue," but her remark reflects a recent plea from the European agricultural umbrella organization Copa-Cogeca for "more consultation and fewer imposed dictates." She also aligns with similar appeals from her own Christian Democratic EPP/CDA group.
The announced "dialogue and listening ear" was welcomed by most parliamentary groups, but there was also a warning that such a dialogue "must not become a talking shop for established interest groups."
Earlier this year, Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski also pointed to the need to "reflect on" a new European Common Agricultural Policy for the 2025–2030 period. He believes that work must start now, especially since the EU will begin negotiations by the end of this year on the possible accession of agricultural giant Ukraine to the EU.