The European Parliament trained its focus on farm resilience and animal health, targeted support for women entrepreneurs outside big cities, and global biodiversity financing. It also moved to votes on accountability for Russia’s attacks in Ukraine, on combating online abuse, on financial literacy and on setting up an international claims body for Ukraine.

Sustainable livestock and food security

MEPs weighed how to balance sustainable practices and animal welfare with competitiveness and decent farm incomes. The rapporteur warned of persistent cost pressures through the supply chain, citing sharp increases in fertiliser and energy prices 1. The Commission promised practical steps to boost circular nutrient use, including a fertiliser action plan due on 19 May 2.

Disease management loomed large, with calls for stronger EU coordination, vaccination and fair compensation. One Greek non‑aligned MEP underlined the human and economic toll of culling during outbreaks, urging better‑resourced veterinary services 3. While centre‑right speakers stressed food security and reciprocity in trade, Greens highlighted market concentration as a driver of farmer distress and called for fairer bargaining power in the agri‑food chain 4.

Women’s entrepreneurship beyond cities

Lawmakers debated how to unlock women’s entrepreneurship in rural, island and outermost regions. The rapporteur flagged that women make up just over a third of the EU’s self‑employed, with an even smaller share in rural areas 5. The Commission added that only about a third of EU farms are run solely by women, and that the share led by women under 40 remains very small 6.

Proponents urged better access to finance and land, mentoring and digital skills, alongside childcare, healthcare, transport and broadband. Others warned against “ideological” tools such as gender‑sensitive budgeting, arguing for simpler, gender‑neutral support focused on infrastructure and credit 7. Several speakers pressed for tailored help to outermost regions, including a significant boost to POSEI allocations to reflect remoteness and higher costs 8.

Biodiversity and the Cali Fund

MEPs reviewed the new Cali Fund for benefit‑sharing from digital sequence information on genetic resources. Supporters backed the principle but worried the mechanism is underfinanced and too voluntary to work, warning it “exists on paper” without substantial money behind it 9. Critics cited reports that only a token first contribution had arrived, raising concerns about competitiveness and research incentives 10. The Left argued companies should make mandatory payments to avoid greenwashing 11, while the Commission stressed the arrangement is not a tax and sits under UN transparency rules 12.

Votes set in motion

Parliament proceeded to a series of votes: on establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine 13; on financial literacy and the rise of finfluencers 14; on ensuring accountability and justice for Russia’s attacks on civilians in Ukraine 15; and on targeted criminal provisions and platforms’ responsibility to address cyberbullying and online harassment 16.

Outlook

With the fertiliser action plan due this month 2, and COP17 preparations advancing on benefit‑sharing, lawmakers will now translate these debates into concrete instruments. The forthcoming votes and follow‑up work will test whether promises on farm resilience, gender‑responsive rural growth and fair biodiversity finance can be matched with stable rules, adequate funding and clear enforcement.