BRUSSELS, 26th March, 2026 (WAM) -- The team of experts from the European Food Security Crisis Preparedness and Response Mechanism (EFSCM) held a meeting today to assess developments in the Middle East and their potential impact on the agricultural and food sector within the Union.

The meeting took place within the framework of the EFSCM, with discussions focusing on the effects of geopolitical crises in the region on trade flows, energy supplies, and the fertiliser market-vital elements for the stability of agricultural production and food supply chains.

This mechanism is part of the emergency plan adopted by the European Union to strengthen food supply security, bringing together member states, the private sector, and non-governmental organisations across various segments of the food chain, with the aim of improving preparedness and coordinating crisis response.

The European Commission affirmed that the Union's food system continues to demonstrate relative resilience, given the EU's significant reliance on self-production for many agricultural products, despite increasing global challenges. It emphasised that recent crises-including the Russian war on Ukraine, rising commodity prices, and the COVID-19 pandemic-have highlighted the importance of having effective mechanisms to ensure the availability of food at affordable and sustainable prices.

Since its establishment, the mechanism has issued three sets of recommendations, including improving communication during crises, diversifying supply sources, and reducing risks in food supply chains, as part of ongoing efforts to enhance the European Union's ability to confront future challenges.