ProVeg International has called on the EU Commissioner-designate for Agriculture and Food, Luxembourg’s Christophe Hansen, to prioritise the proposed EU Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods during his term in office.
Hansen is set to take over from Poland’s Janusz Wojciechowski if he is confirmed on November 27. Earlier this week, he was interviewed by MEPs about the Action Plan concept, which was presented to the European Commission in September in a report titled Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture.
The report was the result of seven months of negotiations by organisations including green NGOs, consumer groups, farmers’ unions, and industry actors. It calls for a reduction in the consumption of animal-based proteins and support to make plant-based options more affordable and accessible. Additionally, it proposes campaigns, tax reductions, and social incentives to encourage sustainable choices.
“Multi-pronged solution”
When asked about the plan, Hansen did not commit to drafting it by the proposed date of 2026, saying that the Commission should not take a top-down approach to what people eat. He claimed that meat is “part of a balanced diet” and that “everything should be eaten in moderation”. However, he did acknowledge the need to adopt a more “holistic” approach to food systems to tackle challenges and improve their resilience.

“Plant-based diets offer a multi-pronged solution for Europe as it faces the climate crisis, health crisis, and growing concerns about food security,” said Jasmijn de Boo, Global CEO of ProVeg. “Now that the Commission has been presented with a specific recommendation to draft an action plan to accelerate the shift to greater plant-based food production and consumption, we expect Mr. Hansen to be a champion of the plan and ensure its rapid and full adoption and implementation.”
“Broad scientific consensus”
Speaking to MEPs, Hansen also said that Europe should produce more protein for livestock to reduce the need for imports. However, ProVeg counters that the focus should be on growing crops for plant-based food.
The organisation has called on Hansen to follow the lead of Denmark, which last year became the first country to develop a national action plan to strengthen and promote the country’s plant-based sector.
“There is broad scientific consensus now that plant-based diets are the most sustainable diet and that Europe should be shifting to these diets to ensure we have a fighting chance to bring down emissions from agriculture,” said Soizic Larcher, EU Policy Officer at ProVeg. “EU member state Denmark has already led the way on implementing a plant-based action plan and we urge Mr Hansen, should he be appointed, to follow suit.”