(ANSA) - ROME, DEC 17 - Ursula von der Leyen's new path starts where it left off: extending a hand to farmers to ease their discontent.
    Against the backdrop of the Agrifood Days in Brussels and just days after the signing of the controversial EU-Mercosur agreement in Montevideo, the President of the European Commission announced two new proposals to protect the sector from the pressure of large-scale retailers, ensuring small farms a fair profit margin.
    Mandatory written contracts, strengthened rules against unfair commercial practices, and mediation channels between farmers and large retailers are the new measures set to be unveiled in the coming hours.
    These provisions were "well received" by Italy's Minister of Agriculture, Francesco Lollobrigida, as "a first signal in response to the many demands that European farmers have brought forward to regain the central role they deserve as custodians of the land and guarantors of food quality." "Farmers are often the weakest link in the chain and sometimes have no choice but to sell their products below production costs. This cannot be the case," von der Leyen remarked, outlining measures aimed at strengthening "the role of farmers in negotiations with those who set the prices." These proposals, which the German leader had promised in recent months, aim to follow up politically on the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the Sector, as Brussels seeks to calm tensions—particularly heightened in France following the rift over the Mercosur deal. The measures anticipate the Vision on the Future of Agriculture, scheduled to be unveiled on February 19, which is expected to include concrete measures for income support.
    According to Lollobrigida, this European action is evidence that "something is changing" in Brussels and Europe, and "a new framework is emerging." These "first steps" in the right direction were also endorsed by Coldiretti and Filiera Italia as a response to farmers' demands, following the widespread protests that shook Europe in recent months. "President von der Leyen's words are encouraging, but we are waiting for action," was the initial reaction from the president of Confagricoltura, Massimiliano Giansanti.
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    (ANSA).