Christmas message to the farmers of Europe from Mr Janusz Wojciechowski, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development - Main contents

This Christmas, families across Europe will be sitting down to enjoy the food and drink that you have worked hard to produce throughout the year.

At the same moment, I know that many of you will be stepping out of your homes to look after your land, to check on your crops and tend to your animals, before returning to the warmth of your own families, for whom you work so hard.

As a society, we often fail to appreciate the true value of this work, of the effort and sacrifices required to produce our food and drink. So I would like to take this opportunity to recognise and thank you sincerely for your work this year.

In the coming year, I hope to work with you, to ensure that you can continue to support your families and produce food for society, in harmony with your land and local environment, for many years to come. I can assure you of my full commitment to this task and the work required to fulfil it.

In the meantime, I wish you and your families a happy and healthy Christmas, and a prosperous start to the new year.

Wesołych Świąt i Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku.