b'10 MostDear readers of Seed World Europe,At Seed World Europe, our mission is to shine a spotlight on the people, ideas, and policies that help shape the plant breed-ing and seed sector across Europe. In a fast-evolving political Influentialand regulatory landscape, its becoming increasingly clear that the influence of European policymakers is instrumental to the growth, innovation, and resilience of our sector.EU Politicians For this years edition of our annual "10 Most" feature, we turn our attention to those policymakers. Specifically, we present the 10 Most Influential EU Politicians for the Plant Breeding and for the Plant BreedingSeed Sectorindividuals whose voices, decisions, and leadership are having a direct and lasting impact on the future of plant and Seed Sector breeding and seeds in Europe.Unlike previous years, where we invited nominations from across the seed sector, for this years list we reached out to several EU politicians who are working in the field of agriculture, health and food safety. For our selection, we looked at the political landscape, considered parliamentary and committee activity, and evaluated the broader influence of individual politicians on legislation, regulation, and public discourse around agriculture, innovation, and sustainability. And invited them to share their perspectives in their own wordsa short, personal reflection on the role of agriculture, and specifically the plant breeding and seed sector, in Europes future. We are incredibly pleased with their responses. Their insights not only reflect the strategic importance of our sector, but also underscore their commitment to fostering innovation, ensuring food security, and supporting farmers across the EU.Such a list could not be complete without two new EU Commissioners whose roles are directly influential in shaping agricultural policies and health and safety regulations. Their combined efforts will play a crucial role in determining the future landscape of the EU seed sector: Christophe Hansen, Commissioner for Agriculture & Food and Olivr Vrhelyi, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety. Both are featured with a separate page. The influence of these 10 politicians cannot be overstated. Some are shaping key agricultural policy at the EU level. Others are leading efforts to modernize legislation around new breeding technologies. Many are driving important conversations around sustainability, biodiversity, and climate resilienceall of which are intrinsically tied to the work being done by plant breeders and seed companies across Europe.This list is not meant to be exhaustive. We are fully aware that many other policymakers across Europe are also playing crucial roles in supporting our sector. However, our selection aims to highlight a diverse group of leaders who have demon-strated sustained interest, engagement, and impact in areas most relevant to our readers.We hope that this edition provides not only recognition to these politicians, but also a useful perspective for our readersshowing how politics and policy continue to shape our sector, and reminding us of the importance of active, constructive dialogue between policymakers and seed sector players.As always, we welcome your feedback and reflections. We are proud to continue building bridges between the seed sector and the policymakers who help shape its environment. And above all, we remain committed to celebrating the peoplewherever they may sitwho are helping to grow a strong, innovative, and sustainable seed sector in Europe.Enjoy the read,Marcel BruinsEditorial Director, Seed World EuropeMAY 2025|SEEDWORLD.COM/EUROPEISEED WORLD EUROPE I 13'