Joint statement on the Middle East crisis and the need for urgent EU actions to safeguard a resilient EU agri-food chain

In the context of renewed geopolitical instability linked to the conflict in the Middle East, EU agri-food chain groups CEJA, Copa-Cogeca, CELCAA, FoodDrinkEurope and EuroCommerce call on EU and Member State policymakers to act now ensuring that Europe’s agri-food operators have priority access to energy and key inputs at affordable and competitive rates, so as to safeguard continuity of supply and food affordability for European consumers.

The ongoing crisis is exerting significant pressure on global energy markets, transport routes, and trade flows. Although Europe’s farmers and agri-food supply chains continue to operate, the conflict is generating increased uncertainty and volatility across energy, logistics and input markets that are vital to the proper functioning of the EU agri-food chain to ensure food in Europe at reasonable prices.

Within our respective constituencies, severe impacts are already strongly visible in the form of higher and more volatile input costs. This is particularly evident for fertilisers, energy, packaging materials, logistics and freight, as well as various agricultural raw materials. These pressures are compounding across the value chain; with the conflict continuing and in the absence of urgent EU action, this will translate into sustained cost pressures which in turn would increasingly affect grocery prices and the affordability of food for European consumers, particularly the most vulnerable households.

This is why we underline that Europe’s agri-food chain must be recognised and treated as critical. Policymakers at EU and Member State level should ensure that essential agri-food operators – including farmers and agri-cooperatives, food and drink processors and manufacturers, traders, retailers and wholesalers alike – have priority access to energy and sufficient key inputs at affordable and competitive rates. This is essential to safeguard continuity of supply, maintain predictable production and distribution, and protect food affordability across the Union.

In a fast-moving and uncertain context, we also recognise that targeted, proportionate and temporary measures are necessary for those actors throughout the chain that are most exposed, particularly most vulnerable ones such as farmers, agri-cooperatives, energy-intensive operations (from a single operation or cumulatively high total energy use), and SMEs. Any such measures should be carefully designed, urgently put in place, with sufficient duration and scope, fully co-ordinated at EU level, and implemented in a way that avoids market distortion and preserves the integrity of the Single Market.

The European Commission’s AccelerateEU Communication, issued on 22 April 2026, is therefore a first step. It establishes a framework to address energy price volatility in the short term, while strengthening Europe’s resilience over the longer term. The proposed measures, which aim to alleviate immediate cost pressures, enhance coordination among Member States and accelerate the transition towards more locally produced, clean and secure energy, are important for the agri-food sector and need to be immediately put into action. Faster permitting and grid upgrades, as well as storage capacity, should be accelerated to provide the necessary infrastructure to help our respective sectors in energy transition. Stable and affordable access to energy and inputs including fertilisers remain essential to ensure the sector’s ability to consistently provide safe and affordable food to consumers across Europe.

There is a clear need for an urgent, strong and coordinated European response that aims to safeguard food production, ensures food and energy security and prevents a food inflation crisis. Exceptional situations call for exceptional measures through concrete immediate action.

The undersigned EU associations will continue to monitor developments closely across Member States, share evidence from our respective constituencies and contribute to urgent coordinated, proportionate responses focused on safeguarding supply continuity and affordability for all Europeans We remain in close contact with the European Commission and relevant authorities, including within the European Food Security and Crisis Preparedness and Response Mechanism (EFSCM).