Grand Est President calls for massive EU agricultural safeguard plan

Franck Leroy, President of the Grand Est region in France, has called on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to implement a massive European safeguard and future-oriented plan for agriculture. This request follows an exceptional summer in 2026 characterized by extreme drought and repeated heatwaves that caused significant losses across various sectors.

Initial estimates indicate severe impacts on regional production, including a decline in cereal yields and an expected 20% to 50% drop in potato production compared to 2025. Some vegetable and fruit productions face losses as high as 80%. Additionally, the region has seen reduced grass growth, lower milk production, and some of the earliest grape harvests ever recorded due to hydric stress.

Leroy’s appeal includes immediate emergency measures to support farm cash flows, compensate for severe losses, and prevent bankruptcies or farm abandonments. For long-term resilience, he advocates for a European strategy focused on water management, soil improvement, and innovation, while calling for the strengthening and protection of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in post-2028 budget programming.