EU agricultural policy faces scrutiny as Spain flags crop‑protection gaps and urges faster Food 2040 rollout

The European Union is reviewing its crop‑protection legislation while the Commission prepares a new strategic agenda for food‑system innovation. Spain, the EU’s largest fruit and vegetable producer, is presented as a case study of how uneven national interpretation of Regulation (EU) No 1107/2009 creates costly gaps in the availability of post‑patent plant‑protection products, affecting farmer competitiveness amid climate pressures.

In parallel, the Commission released the report “Building Food 2040: stakeholder input for the new EU R&I strategic agenda for food systems”. The document aggregates more than 600 responses from experts, industry bodies, NGOs and public administrations. Spain led the consultation with 94 participants, highlighting the country’s strong research and production capacity. The agenda aims to accelerate the transfer of agricultural technologies from lab to market, close the “valley of death” for food innovations and strengthen strategic food sovereignty across the Union.