European self-sufficiency and food security
Food security is critical for the stability of the society and an essential element of the security and resilience of the European Union. Food security is the public good that the whole food sector provides to society and citizens.
Strengthening European food security requires better coordination of EU policies, safeguarding the future of European agriculture and increasing readiness for exceptional situations of disturbance.
European food security and the resilience of food production to crises must be ensured through long-term, supportive policies and funding. Different EU policies must also be harmonised. Common rules and funding will also make it easier to trade in the Single Market.
To ensure the European food sector’s resilience to disruptions, minimum requirements for Member States’ security of supply must be agreed. In addition, critical infrastructure must be developed throughout the EU, as well as the ability to respond to disruptions and tools to deal with exceptional circumstances. Food security must be strengthened by increasing self-sufficiency in critical natural resources and production inputs and European ownership of these.