The European Union has put forward proposals designed to increase food production in a bid to stem rising prices.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


The European Commission has suggested permanently scrapping the ‘set-aside’ system, where 10% of EU farm fields lie fallow. Also, as expected, the Commission has proposed scrapping restrictive milk quotas from 2015, with five annual 1% production quota increases before that date.


EU agriculture commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel said the proposals were “all about freeing our farmers to meet growing demand and respond quickly to what the market is telling them”.


Set aside was suspended this year because of the global food shortage. The Commission aims to have secured an agreement to scrap the programme all together by November.


Fischer Boel also proposed simplifying the EU’s Common Agriculture Policy, by reducing production-linked subsidies to only suckler cows, goat and sheep livestock.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Otherwise, subsidies will have to be paid independent of production, helping the EU secure a deal at the WTO Doha Development Round – now approaching its final stages.

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact