Ceettar

14/07/2026

Across Europe, contractors are facing many of the same challenges: rising diesel and energy costs, increasing operating expenses and growing pressure on their businesses.

The good news? CEETTAR members are working together to improve the conditions for contractors across Europe.

From France and the Netherlands to Ireland, Finland, Germany and Sweden, our member organisations are engaging with policymakers, sharing knowledge and promoting solutions that help businesses stay competitive and resilient.

Although the approaches differ from country to country, the goal is the same: creating better conditions for contractors and strengthening the future of our sector.

Together, we have a stronger voice.

Read how our Danish member organisation, DM&E, highlights these efforts:

Se, hvordan CEETTARs medlemsorganisationer presser på for bedre vilkår mod stigende diesel- og energipriser i hele Europa.

13/07/2026

29/06/2026

🌡️ **When extreme heat hits, contractors are on the front line.**

As Europe faces increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves, agricultural and rural contractors continue to deliver essential services – often under extreme conditions.

Our French member organisation, **FNEDT**, is calling for greater recognition of the vital role contractors play in maintaining food production, harvesting, transport, public services and emergency response during periods of extreme weather.

While many sectors can pause or adapt their activities, contractors often cannot. Crops must be harvested at the right moment, roads and public spaces maintained, and essential operations carried out despite challenging working conditions.

This raises an important question for Europe:

👉 How do we protect the people who keep our essential services running while ensuring the resilience of our food systems and rural infrastructure?

At CEETTAR, we support FNEDT's call for a stronger dialogue on working conditions, climate adaptation and recognition of contractors as key actors in Europe's resilience.

Read the full article (in French): [https://www.terre-net.fr/eta/article/900332/face-a-la-canicule-les-eta-en-premiere-ligne-sans-cadre-ni-reconnaissance](https://www.terre-net.fr/eta/article/900332/face-a-la-canicule-les-eta-en-premiere-ligne-sans-cadre-ni-reconnaissance)

La Fédération nationale des entrepreneurs des territoires (FNEDT) alerte sur les conséquences de ces épisodes de canicules extrêmes pour les...

25/06/2026

Remember to be safe...

Only one in five farm contractors will use sunscreen during the current heatwave, according to a new survey from FCI

30/04/2026

A major step forward for agricultural and forestry contractors in Ireland.

The announcement of a dedicated fuel support scheme recognises the vital role contractors play in securing food production, maintaining rural infrastructure, and supporting the wider agricultural economy. It is encouraging to see policymakers acknowledge that contractors are essential partners in times of economic uncertainty.

This is exactly why strong representation matters. When contractors have a seat at the table, their voice can help shape practical solutions.

CEETTAR congratulates the Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors in Ireland and all those involved in securing this important outcome. It is a strong example of how targeted support can help maintain resilience, competitiveness, and food security across Europe.

Agricultural contractors are not just service providers—they are part of the solution.

29/04/2026

🚜🇪🇺 Strong advocacy delivers real results.

Our Dutch member organisation, Cumela, has successfully placed a vital issue back on the political agenda in the Netherlands: how to manage extreme and unpredictable cost increases, especially soaring fuel prices. ()

Following Cumela's intensive lobbying, the Dutch Ministry has committed to developing a new framework that will help ensure:
• fair risk-sharing between contractors and clients
• better management of exceptional cost increases
• greater certainty for ongoing projects
• stronger protection for businesses that keep Europe moving. ()

For agricultural contractors and mobile machinery operators across Europe, this is exactly the kind of practical political action our sector needs.

At CEETTAR, we welcome this important step and congratulate Cumela on turning industry concerns into political action. This is what effective representation looks like.

Europe's contractors are the engine of our rural economy. They deserve stable, fair and predictable operating conditions.

23/04/2026

Across Europe, farmers and agricultural contractors are facing unprecedented diesel costs.

⛽ This is not just a financial issue – it is a direct barrier to climate progress.

⚠️ When fuel prices surge:
🔹 Investments in precision farming and low-emission technologies are postponed
🔹 Older, less efficient machinery stays in use longer ♻️
🔹 Focus shifts from innovation to short-term survival
🔹 Optimal field operations are reduced – lowering efficiency and increasing emissions per unit produced 📉
🔹 The use of organic fertilizers becomes less efficient, increasing dependency on mineral fertilizers 🌱➡️🧪
🔹 Access to professional contracting services – key to scaling green practices – becomes more limited

💡 Agricultural contractors are ready to deliver solutions.
With the machinery and know-how already present across Europe, we can significantly improve nutrient efficiency, reduce emissions, and support sustainable food production. 🌍

But this requires political recognition of one simple fact:
👉 You cannot drive the green transition if you remove the economic foundation that makes it possible.

🏛️ CEETTAR calls on policymakers to ensure that energy and fuel policies support – not undermine – Europe’s capacity to produce food sustainably.

🌾 Because safeguarding food production and enabling the green transition must go hand in hand.

🇩🇰 Denmark is already seeing the consequences.
Rising costs among agricultural, sewer and drainage, and forestry contractors are putting pressure on the entire value chain – ultimately affecting consumers. 💸

📣 DM&E is raising awareness and calling for action to protect both members and the green transition.

📄 Read the press release here👇

15/04/2026

15/04/2026

Fuel prices are not just an Irish issue – they are a European wake-up call
Across Ireland, we are witnessing growing unrest. Farmers, contractors, hauliers and many others have taken to the streets, blocking roads and raising their voices. Their message is clear: current policies are not doing enough to secure the survival of essential sectors—or to support ordinary citizens.
The situation has escalated to the point where the government faced a vote of no confidence, which it only narrowly survived. This is not just politics. It is a reflection of real pressure on the ground.
When even experienced leaders like Michael Healy-Rae step down, stating that they can no longer support policies that work against the people, we must take notice. He has been clear: agricultural contractors are being left behind, and current proposals fail to address the real impact of soaring fuel prices.

At CEETTAR, we stand with our members and colleagues across Europe.

Our sector is not optional—it is critical. Agricultural contractors are the backbone of efficient and modern food production. Without viable operating conditions, the entire food supply chain is at risk.
Geopolitical tensions and energy prices are putting unprecedented pressure on our industry. If we do not act, the consequences will go far beyond one country.

We must:
• Ensure fair and realistic energy policies
• Protect the operational viability of contractors
• Safeguard Europe’s food production capacity

This is about more than fuel.
It is about resilience.
It is about food security.

And it is about ensuring that our sector can survive—and continue to deliver for society. Farm Contractors Ireland

07/04/2026

🚜💸 High fuel prices are threatening food production

In Ireland and across Europe, farmers are now forced to decide if they can even afford to fill their tractors with 240 euro ekstra pr tank of diesel for one traktor pr day. For 100 acres, that’s an extra €2,855 just for fuel – and that’s only to keep fieldwork running.

High fuel costs are forcing farmers to cut livestock numbers and use cheaper fertiliser solutions, because crop prices can’t cover the rising expenses. Agricultural contractors cannot absorb any of these extra costs – their machinery costs are already maxed out.

As Ann Gleeson from the Irish Contractors Association puts it: “The situation is critical – it directly affects how much food we can produce.”

🌱 Watch the video to see why high fuel prices are not just an economic problem, but a threat to food security.