Debat over toekomst van het Europees landbouwbeleid (en)

The third debate on reform of Common Agricultural Policy took place at the European Parliament in Brussels yesterday (19^th December), with the participation of representatives of the scientific community. Earlier, the future of CAP had been debated by EU agriculture ministers, the Commissioner and members of the EP’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (7^th November), and by representatives of agricultural organisations and NGOs (23^rd November).

European agriculture is facing new challenges which necessitates an open, in-depth discussion to air the opinions of different stakeholders.

The discussion, conducted within a series of individual debates, is intended to facilitate a good compromise over the future of the Common Agricultural Policy. The scientists and experts invited to yesterday's debate considered ways of enhancing the implementation of CAP goals laid down in a proposed package of legislative solutions.

The debate focused on three areas:

• 1. 

  Food security and competitiveness of the food chain
• 2. 

  Sustainable development of EU agriculture
• 3. 

  Sustainable territorial development

Debate participants agreed that ensuring the security of the food chain constituted a profound challenge. The degree of under-nourishment around the world has been reduced and the accessibility of food on a global scale has improved. Now it is essential to improve the availability of food in specific regions.

Another item on the agenda was the improvement of competitiveness in agriculture, including plant production for energy use. Common Agricultural Policy as proposed by the European Commission does not stimulate competitiveness. The relevant reform proposals are not sufficiently bold, with the proposed mechanisms unlikely to improve the farming conditions. The scientists felt that part of the funds in pillar I should be transferred to pillar II and used for compensating the increased obligations placed on farmers involved in the production of high-quality food.

The participants also examined the greening of CAP: the Policy needed to be ecologically sensitive but the degree of such greening remained debatable. Furthermore, it also involved imposing additional administrative duties on farmers.

On rural development, the scientists concurred that the EU needed a strong policy to determine and regulate such development. ‘Europe is struggling to maintain the global competitiveness of its agriculture and its productivity is falling. If we continue to concentrate on direct payments that are divorced from production we will see further expansion of impoverished regions,’ remarked Polish Agriculture Minister Marek Sawicki in his recap of the discussion.

‘Agricultural production and competitiveness are pivotal when we consider the new challenges confronting Europe. Thus, Europe needs CAP, but it might turn out to be inadequate to cope with the challenges at hand. Still, it is essential to channel the ambitions emerging in the drive to reform European agriculture,’added EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Dacian Ciolos i.

The debate series, organised at the initiative of the Polish Presidency i, will be summed up at the Central Agricultural Library in Warsaw on 9^th January 2012,during a conference chaired by Minister Sawicki. The debate conclusions will also be presented at a session of the EP Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development on 24^th January 2012.