Luxembourg Highlights Need for Fewer Rules, More Incentives in EU Agriculture Policy

Martine Hansen, as Luxembourg’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Viticulture, represented the country in the informal meeting of the EU Agriculture Ministers in Copenhagen, Denmark from Monday 8 to Tuesday 9 September 2025.

The minister highlighted Luxembourg’s call for fewer rules and more incentives within the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to safeguard its small-scale farming sector, support young farmers and ensure fair competition with imports.

According to Luxembourg’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Viticulture, the main theme of this meeting was strengthening competitiveness and accelerating the ecological transition in the agri-food and agricultural sector. The minister underlined that imported products must meet the same standards as those produced in the EU, insisting that imported food should respect the same standards as European products.

Minister Hansen stressed: “Farmers need fewer rules and more incentives. In order to guarantee access to affordable, safe and nutritious food, it is essential that an adequate budget is ensured for the CAP and that we quickly know the budget envelopes allocated to the Member States. In this context, I regret that investment subsidies for the agri-food processing sector are no longer included in the CAP regulation.” She added that young farmers “play a vital role in innovation”, noting that Luxembourg “eagerly awaits the strategy for generational renewal announced by the European Commissioner for Agriculture.”

Minister Hansen recalled the demonstrations of 2024, during which farmers called for simplification of the “excessive” existing regulation. She stressed that the main focus should be on rules that are truly practicable, citing as an example the EU deforestation regulation as  “disproportionate” to its objectives. She added that eighteen Member States are still awaiting a response from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to their letter requesting simplifications for the implementation of this regulation.

Luxembourg’s Ministry of Agriculture recalled that the EU’s position in the global agri-food system is currently facing “major challenges”, such as the war in Ukraine, the unstable geopolitical and trade situation, droughts and floods caused by climate change, as well as challenges linked to generational renewal in the agricultural sector. Moreover, population growth is driving an increase in global demand for food and protein.

EO