Abstract

This study assesses the green competitiveness of agriculture across European Union (EU) Member States, utilizing fifteen environmental indicators aligned with the European Green Deal. The results reveal significant disparities in performance, with variation coefficients ranging from 5.52% to nearly 200%. The highest dispersion was observed in emissions and energy consumption, while indicators such as organic farming and pesticide use showed greater consistency. The average green competitiveness index in 2022 was 0.4749, indicating a moderate level across the EU and a slight decline compared to 2018. Although overall competitiveness remained stable, the reduced standard deviation and narrowing gap between Member States suggest increasing convergence. Greece, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic demonstrated the highest competitiveness, while Malta and Cyprus ranked lowest. Positive trends were observed in France, Denmark, Portugal, Lithuania, and Ireland, whereas Finland, Sweden, Austria, and Luxembourg experienced notable declines. Despite a relatively strong performance in most indicators, five areas – organic farming, landscape diversity, ammonia emissions, renewable energy use, and agricultural contribution to renewable energy – require targeted national action. The findings underscore the need for multidimensional sustainability assessments and country-specific policies to enhance agricultural competitiveness in line with the goals of the green transition.