BEATLES third EU multi-actor working group workshop: Exploring the notion of fairness in EU policy

Within the Horizon Europe project BEATLES (Behavioural Change Towards Climate-Smart Agriculture), AEIDL is organising a new EU multi-actor working group online workshop that will take place on 19 May 2025 from 10.00 am to 12.30 pm (CET).

This session aims to further explore the concept of fairness in EU policy, building on the work completed so far in the project, incorporating perspectives from various stakeholders within European institutions, as well as insights from experts consulted throughout the process.

The expert consultation was carried out from November 2024 to April 2025. The consultation engaged EU and national-level policymakers, advisors, and academics in agriculture, environmental policy, and EU law. Data were collected through an online questionnaire with open-ended questions to explore: (a) conceptual understandings of fairness in EU and national contexts; (b) how the four dimensions of fairness are integrated into policy-making; (c) concrete examples of fairness in current policies; and (d) recommendations for enhancing fairness in agrifood governance.

While still relatively underexplored in the EU political sphere, the concept of fairness is gaining increasing attention in the current political landscape. We consider the notion of fairness to be a core principle in shaping EU policies, encompassing all four key dimensions: (1) distributive fairness, (2) procedural fairness, (3) interpersonal fairness, and (4) informational fairness.

In May 2024, AEIDL published the Policy Brief ‘The notion of supply chain fairness in the EU policies related to Climate-Smart Agriculture’. It attempts to shed light on the understanding of the concept, and encompasses a detailed examination of fairness within European Law, with a focus on the Common Agricultural Policy and the broader food policy framework. We will present the findings as well as review the latest considerations in the Strategic Dialogue report on the future of EU Agriculture, the EU consultation on farm policy, the Communication on ‘The Road to the next Multiannual Financial Framework’, and the Vision for Agriculture and Food.

For any doubts about the workshop, please write to Blanca Casares (bca@aeidl.eu).