On 19 February 2025, the European Commission unveiled its long-term strategy for farming and the agri-food sector with the publication of Vision for Agriculture and Food: Shaping Together an Attractive Farming and Agri-Food Sector for Future Generations. The document outlines the priorities and approaches that will shape EU policy initiatives to enhance the sector’s competitiveness and attractiveness—both now and through 2040. Framing its strategy within the context of recent widespread farmer protests and key policy recommendations for the future direction of the EU that came out from the Draghi report on EU competitiveness, Letta’s report on the Future of the EU Single Market, Niinistö’s report on Europe’s civil and military preparedness and readiness, as well as the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture, the Commission underscores the urgent need for structural reforms. Quoting Draghi’s assertion that in a world of geopolitical and geoeconomic tensions, “dependencies are becoming vulnerabilities,” the Vision positions food security and food sovereignty as core elements of the EU’s broader strategy for security, competitiveness, and sustainability.

The Vision also reinforces the EU’s long-standing position that trade should not come at the expense of food safety, environmental protection, or animal welfare. It does so while acknowledging that, in the current geopolitical context, achieving a global consensus on farming and food standards has become increasingly difficult. At the same time, the document highlights growing concerns among EU farmers about what they perceive to be unfair global competition and a lack of reciprocity—where EU producers must comply with higher standards while competing with imports that do not meet the same requirements. In response, the Vision signals a more assertive EU stance on ensuring fair competition in global agri-food trade. Without using terms that have previously offended trade partners, such as “lower standards” and “less stringent conditions,” the European Commission has conveyed its intention to tighten regulatory oversight on food imports and close loopholes that allow products that do not meet all EU standards to enter the single market.

The document makes it explicit that the EU will work toward a stronger alignment of production standards applied to imported products. It also explicitly refers to standards related to pesticides and animal welfare as the main focus of this effort. Accordingly, the Commission plans to prohibit the re-entry of hazardous pesticides that have been banned in the EU for health and environmental reasons through imported food products. This comes after a recent decision by the European Parliament to reject Commission proposals that would have allowed import tolerances for certain banned pesticides. Specifically, the Parliament opposed permitting residues of cyproconazole and spirodiclofen in products like cereals, seeds, and meat, as well as benomyl, carbendazim, and thiophanate-methyl in citrus fruits and okra. These substances are already prohibited within the EU, reinforcing the bloc’s commitment to ensuring that imported food upholds its strict safety and environmental standards. To advance this, the Vision document informs that a 2025 Impact Assessment will evaluate the economic and international implications of such restrictions and, if necessary, propose amendments to the relevant legal framework.

Concerning animal welfare, a revision of the existing legislation is already underway, and the Vision confirms that future legislative proposals will apply the same welfare standards to both EU-produced and imported products. The Vision reiterates the Commission’s intention to phase out the use of cages in animal confinement, a commitment first made in 2021 following the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) “End the Cage Age,” in which over 170 non-governmental organizations across Europe gathered 1.4 million signatures calling for legislation to prohibit cage use for various farmed animals, including laying hens, rabbits, pullets, broiler breeders, quail, ducks, geese, and others. Additionally, the Vision states that the Commission will consider targeted labelling on animal welfare to address societal expectations. According to the publication, these initiatives will be implemented based on impact assessments and in a manner compliant with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. This suggests that the EC acknowledges that trade restrictions based on animal welfare concerns remain a sensitive issue among many of the EU’s trading partners.

For third countries exporting to the EU, including the United Kingdom (UK), which has been classified as such since it exited the EU single market, these developments mean that diverging regulations on pesticide authorizations and animal welfare requirements are likely to hinder their access to the EU market. While some producers in third countries may already align their production practices with EU standards in these areas, they must still be prepared for potential additional border checks and higher compliance costs. For the UK, this is particularly significant, as its agri-food sector is already struggling with the disruptive effects of Brexit. Regulatory differences in pesticide authorizations and animal welfare requirements have already begun to emerge, with the UK in some cases adopting more restrictive measures than the EU and, in others, opting for more flexible approaches. For example, the UK has not kept pace with certain pesticide approvals and maximum residue levels (MRLs) adopted by the EU, which could result in some products being barred from entering the EU market. Conversely, the UK has taken a stricter stance on animal welfare, already banning the live transport of animals for slaughter.

As regulatory differences between the UK and the EU continue to emerge, preventing trade frictions and ensuring greater certainty for producers on both sides will require a careful balance between alignment and regulatory autonomy. The upcoming review of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), scheduled for 2026, presents a key opportunity to address these issues and strengthen cooperation. One option already considered by stakeholders is the (re)alignment of EU-UK food standards through a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement. A Briefing Paper by the Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy (CITP) explores this possibility.

However, additional measures may be necessary, as trade restrictions based on animal welfare do not easily fall within the scope of SPS commitments, unlike those concerning health issues over pesticide residues. Alternative approaches may be necessary to ensure alignment while maintaining regulatory autonomy, and accommodating the complex economic, scientific, and ethical dimensions of animal welfare standards.

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