Agriculture, Climate, Digitalisation
Benelux countries join forces for the future of agriculture
29 Apr. 2025
Under the Luxembourg Presidency of the Benelux Union, a strategic meeting took place in Luxembourg involving the Directors-General for Agriculture from Flanders, Wallonia, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The meeting, opened by Luxembourg’s Minister of Agriculture Martine Hansen, marked a new step in Benelux cooperation. Discussions focused on sharpening joint priorities, translating Benelux Parliament recommendations into concrete actions, and aligning with and drawing inspiration from European developments.
In her opening speech, Minister Hansen emphasized the potential of a unified Benelux voice in Europe, particularly in light of the shared challenges faced by geographically smaller member states with high population density. Frans Weekers, Secretary-General of Benelux, highlighted the significance: “This meeting is important for exploring Benelux as a testing ground for EU initiatives and strengthening our collective voice, especially as Benelux is known as one of the most innovative regions in the field of agriculture.” Jean-Claude Meyer, Deputy Secretary-General of Benelux, added: “Thanks to the active leadership of the Luxembourg Presidency, we’ve turned a shared vision into a concrete agenda. This builds on the momentum of the Belgian Presidency and gives clear direction to our cooperation.”
Focus on common challenges and European cooperation
A key topic on the agenda was the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Mario Milouchev, Director at the European Commission, provided an update on recent developments within the CAP. During this initial exchange of ideas, participants discussed how the Benelux countries can jointly respond to European developments.
Six priorities for the future
The Directors-General identified six joint themes that the Benelux countries will focus on in the coming years: food security, innovation, knowledge exchange, digitalization, land access, and the long-term resilience of agriculture. These themes reflect a shared ambition to strengthen the agricultural sector while developing sustainable solutions.
Building a resilient agricultural sector
The strategic meeting was concluded by Michel-Etienne Tilemans, Deputy Secretary-General of Benelux. He expressed his appreciation for the preparatory work of the working group, made possible thanks to the active support of the General Secretariat. He emphasized the commitment of the Directors-General to pursue joint benchmarking. The Benelux will now proceed with concrete actions around the six selected priorities. “Benelux is here to strengthen the agricultural sector, not to complicate it. Our cooperation must provide clarity and added value for the sector itself – with a focus on resilience, self-sufficiency, and reducing administrative burdens.” Tilemans announced that the Benelux Agriculture Working Group will meet again in June to further develop the Benelux Parliament’s recommendations and prepare an exchange day in the second half of the year. A new meeting of the Directors-General is planned for the autumn.
Inspiration for Europe
Through this strengthened cooperation, the Benelux countries aim not only to support each other but also to serve as a source of inspiration for other regions in Europe. The meeting in Luxembourg demonstrated that the Benelux, thanks to its scale and mutual trust, plays a unique role as a testing ground for innovative and sustainable agricultural solutions.
Picture : © MA
