The UK Farming Unions first established an office in Brussels in 1972 to represent the interests of UK farmers and growers as the UK joined the then European Economic Community (EEC). Officially known as the British Agriculture Bureau (BAB), nearly 50 years later this permanent base in Brussels continues to represent the 70,000 members of the NFU, NFU Scotland, the Ulster Farmers’ Union and NFU Cymru.
We promote and represent the views of our members to the European institutions, other European partners and Brussels stakeholders. We represent the interests of UK famers and growers through information gathering, analysis, influencing policy development, articulating the UK perspective, networking, building new relationships and alliances, and cementing existing ones.
Find out more about BAB by clicking here.
The Players
The UFU’s aim is to lobby these institutions to ensure that the concerns of farmers in Northern Ireland are taken into consideration during the decision-making process.
British Agriculture Bureau Staff
Main areas of responsibility:
- Leadership of BAB
- Political, financial and trade issues (EU-UK TCA, NI Protocol, State Aid, MFF)
- COPA-COGECA Praesidium and Policy Committee
- WFO
- Management of the relationship with NFU, NFU Cymru, NFUS and UFU
Main areas of responsibility:
- Management of the BAB office
- Oversight of BAB finance, and alignment rules and regulations
- Co‑ordination and management of office operations and meeting scheduling
- Event Management
* Should be contacted regarding travel and hotel bookings, group visits and events *
Main areas of responsibility:
- Animal health and welfare
- Sanitary issues
- Food supply chain
- Organics
- Agricultural support and Rural Development
- CEJA
- Women in Agriculture
Farming sectors: Livestock, dairy, pigs & poultry
Main areas of responsibility:
- Environment
- Climate change
- Biodiversity
- Science & Technology
- New Genomic Techniques
- Plant Protection Products
- Plant health
- Fertilisers
- Communications
Farming sectors: Cereals, oilseeds & protein crops, sugar, seeds, horticulture, ornamentals & potatoes
