The EU plans to crack down on imports of food products that do not meet its standards – this will be announced in a new agricultural policy review to be published on Wednesday, which aims to reassure European farmers facing global trade tensions.

The European Commission is set to unveil a new action plan for a sector that, despite swallowing a third of the bloc's budget, has long resented Brussels' liberal approach to trade.

Farmer protests last year lasted for months, with farmers, angered by regulatory burdens, reduced incomes and what they saw as unfair competition from less-regulated foreign rivals, throwing eggs, spraying manure and blocking the streets of the Belgian capital.

After consultation with farmers' lobbyists and environmental NGOs, the "Vision for Agriculture and Food" promises to address at least some of these concerns.

In order to ensure that the agricultural sector is not placed at a competitive disadvantage, the Commission will seek to "harmonise production standards for imported products more closely", the draft text says.

Brussels will be particularly vigilant to ensure that the most dangerous pesticides, banned in the EU for health and environmental reasons, do not end up back in Europe via imported products.

The project does not specify a timeframe for this objective, nor does it specify which products or countries it would apply to.

„The first mission of this vision – is to reduce tensions and reassure all parties“, – said Lucas Vernet of the think tank „Farm Europe“, noting that the text is „extremely cautious“.

The possibility of banning certain imports could fuel resentment abroad, especially in the context of a trade conflict.

„Financial Times“ reported this week that US crops such as soybeans could be targeted after President Donald Trump announced tariffs that could hit European exports.

European farmers were also worried about the trade agreement with Latin America's „Mercosur“, which the Commission signed in December.

„Paradigm shift“

The draft document also promises to reform the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), cutting red tape and redirecting huge subsidies to farmers who need them most.

This suggests that Brussels will scrap the current system, which calculates financial support according to farm size and favours large landowners.

„This is very important,– said Celia Nyssens-James of the European Environment Bureau, which brings together the activists, noting that the lion's share now goes to a minority of farmers who „don't necessarily need the money“. This is a paradigm shift.

The EU subsidises farming to ensure that enough food is produced at an affordable price and that farmers are rewarded for taking care of nature. These subsidies are huge and highly valued in farming countries such as France, Ireland and Eastern Europe, where farmers have strong political influence.

The EU budget for 2021–2027 included around €387 billion for agriculture.

Negotiations on the next phase of the CAP in 2028–2034 will be one of the most sensitive topics during the second term of EU leader Ursula von der Leyen, which began in December.

The review plans to increase funding for young farmers, as well as those who contribute to environmental protection or work in areas with "natural handicaps".

The document does not provide any information on how the new system could work.

It also aims to simplify access to finance for small and medium-sized farmers by optimising "controls and conditions".

In addition, the 27-nation bloc is called upon to reduce dependency and diversify supply chains. Fertiliser imports from Russia are of particular concern.

According to the Block, in 2023, agriculture contributed 1.3% of the EU's GDP. 30 million people were employed in Europe's agri-food sector in 2023, accounting for 15% of all EU jobs.