Strohschneider has been asked by Von der Leyen to lead discussions among all stakeholders in EU agriculture over the coming months. Until a few years ago, he was a member of the Borchert Commission which focused on a future scenario for agriculture and livestock farming in Germany. The plan is to conclude the dialogue by summer and present a vision plan by September.
The “strategic dialogue” was introduced on September 13, 2023, by Von der Leyen to encourage “more dialogue and less polarization” in agricultural policy. To this end, food producers, NGOs, and various stakeholders in agriculture have been brought together.
Farmers in agricultural countries like France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and Romania have a litany of complaints. Their protests are directed both against national legislative proposals and new European regulations. In several countries, angry farmers have blocked highways with tractors. Their unrest is partly encouraged (especially in Germany, France, and Italy) by far-right parties seeking voter support ahead of the European Parliament elections in June. Opinion polls indicate a possible significant shift to the right.
For a long time, virtually all agricultural and food issues within the EU fell under the competence of the Agriculture Commissioner and the Agriculture Committee, which primarily represented the interests of European farmers. To the frustration of nature organizations, organic farmers, environmental groups, and left-liberal factions, some changes have only occurred since the current Von der Leyen Commission took office.
Under the leadership of Commissioners Frans Timmermans (Climate) and Virginijus Sinkevičius (Environment), several powers have been transferred from Agriculture to Environment in recent years, to the great dissatisfaction of many farmers and their European umbrella organizations. As a result, the agriculture and food debate is still dominated by opposing views between the Agriculture Committee (AGRI) and the Environment Committee (ENVI) of the European Parliament.
According to Spanish Agriculture Minister Luis Planas, Brussels has in the Common Agricultural Policy, the Green Deal, the Farm to Fork food strategy, and other agricultural regulations ‘imposed environmental requirements on the agricultural sector […] without adequate explanation, dialogue, or financial support.’ However, European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič, the successor to Frans Timmermans for the Green Deal, believes the strategic dialogue was “started at the right time” – even though some ministers claim it is now actually too late.
Critics say it will be “difficult” to achieve results before the EU elections in June. In that case, the whole issue will effectively be postponed beyond the elections (June 2024), after which political groups will have to find a compromise, and Commissioners of a new European Commission (from 2025) will have to implement it.