PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Brussels, July 7, 2026
European Commission Unveils Plan to Strengthen Europe’s Plant Protein System
The European Commission has today published its long-awaited EU Protein Plan, setting out a framework for scaling up sustainable plant protein production in the EU and building an autonomous and resilient protein system. The Plan provides an assessment of the challenges facing the EU protein sector, including food and feed, and outlines a range of measures to strengthen the production of sustainable proteins.
“The Protein Plan marks an important milestone, clearly signalling that plant proteins are central to Europe’s future food system. We particularly welcome the Commission’s recognition of the economic opportunities for farmers, rural communities and generational renewal. We hope this is a turning point in political support for the sector” said Rafael Pinto, Senior Policy Manager at the European Vegetarian Union.
The document acknowledges that plant proteins are essential for strengthening food security, enhancing the EU’s strategic autonomy and competitiveness, delivering benefits for public health, the environment, and the climate. It also highlights the economic opportunities that can be created for farmers and rural communities by expanding plant protein production, including protein crops and alternative proteins.
However, for the EVU, “The plan still falls short on concrete measures to solve the EU’s protein imbalance. To unlock the full potential of plant proteins, the EU needs concrete policies that stimulate demand for plant foods and support a shift towards increased human consumption.” Although the document mentions the role of public procurement, “what is missing is a target to balance plant/animal protein production and consumption as well as earmarked funding.”
The only target set by the plan is to increase EU production of proteins for feed, from 25.8% to 35% by 2035. For Rafael Pinto “this target could be easily achieved in the next few years simply by increasing human consumption of plant proteins, since our current dependency is caused by imbalanced diets”.
The Commission introduces several recommendations to Member States and recognises the Danish Action Plan for Plant-based Foods as a best practice. These recommendations include promoting the integration of protein crops into crop rotation and diversification policies, compensating for the higher production costs faced by farmers who switch to protein crops, encouraging farmers currently focused on animal farming to diversify, incentivising those who combine crops and animals, and mobilising national tools to promote sustainable and resilient diets.
The Protein Plan acknowledges several opportunities in the currently discussed legislative files, including the Common Agricultural Policy post-2027, the Common Market Organisation, the European Competitiveness Fund, and Public Procurement rules. The proposal mentions establishing a dedicated protein crop sector to strengthen the value chain and implementing sectoral interventions to support investment, the proposal mentions prioritising ‘best value’ over the lowest price approach in public procurement by contracting authorities, and inviting Member States to consider taxation measures, which could include lower rates for plant proteins.
In order to boost protein crop production and processing, the Protein Plan recognises the importance of investment in research and innovation. Adequate processing infrastructure and technologies, including on-farm solutions, are necessary to add value to the production process and create new opportunities for farmers.
The EVU calls on the European Commission and Member-States to build on the Protein Plan by developing targeted measures that encourage production and direct consumption of plant protein and highlights the need to develop an EU Plant-Based Action Plan as “the next logical step.”
