Speech by President Herman Van Rompuy at the presentation of the Expo Milano 2015 “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”

EUROPEAN COUNCIL THE PRESIDT

Brussels, 29 January 2014 EUC

PRESSE 44 PR PCE 23

Speech by President of the European Council

Herman Van Rompuy i

at the presentation of the Expo Milano 2015

“Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”

The World EXPO 2015 is meant to become a milestone of planetary debate on food and sustainability. It will be a platform for political discussions and policy initiatives. Taking a humanistic cultural approach as its starting point, the EXPO will seek the right way to tackle major food- and societal-related challenges. The World EXPO will focus, as a priority, on the fight against hunger

And indeed, feeding the planet is the greatest challenge of our times. The first of the United Nations Millennium Development goals is precisely to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. The European Union has put food and nutrition high on the political agenda

With close to fifty million people suffering from severe poverty, it has set aside almost 3.5 billion euro for food distributions or other assistance to the most deprived at least until 2020. Internationally, the EU has strongly supported the creation of a "Global Partnership Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition", and I welcome the joint initiative of the "Food and Agricultural Organisation" and the "World Health Organisation" to hold the second International Conference on Nutrition later this year in Rome

I know that synergies have been created between this high level event and the EXPO, and I hope that this will be an opportunity to increase awareness on challenges linked to nutrition, and to find concrete solutions

Food represents a building block of the EU economy: the EU is the biggest world exporter in the field and the EU food industry is its largest manufacturing industry, generating an annual turnover of almost one trillion euro and employing more than four million people. Food is part of the European common and diversified cultural heritage. It is, in Europe, often an opportunity for cultural expression, both artistically and symbolically. It is a worldwide symbol of the "EU way of life"

But above all, food is energy for life. It is in essence the factor that makes life possible: feeding our bodies, nurturing our soul, and allowing for harmonious economical and societal development. Let me briefly touch upon certain aspects:

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  The EU has put in place remarkable policies in the fields of food safety and food quality. Particularly with regards to food safety, the Union, with its science-based approach founded on the clear separation between risk assessment and risk management, is acknowledged as a model for the rest of the world
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  On food quality, an issue that is becoming increasingly important in today's health conscious society, the EU is once again at the forefront of the discussion in this field. Indeed the Union is promoting, both in terms of education and policy development, healthy standards in the field of nutrition, based on the parallel tracks of stakeholders' active commitment and consumers' information

Quality food is the key to better nutrition and a healthier lifestyle. By encouraging proper nutrition and better farming we will be able to reduce the environmental footprint of food production and consumption. And to this goal the whole society should contribute: families, schools, companies and governments altogether

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  And the primary activity through which we secure the production of quality food is agriculture. It is an integral part of the European economy and society: it prevents land neglect and depopulation, it helps maintain viable rural communities, delivers multiple social benefits and has the potential for providing public goods in the field of the environment
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  On top of this, the agri-food sector can be a major economic driver, stimulating economic growth and local employment. Italy provides a very good example: despite one of the most severe economic crisis ever, the Italian agri-food sector has kept growing at a much faster pace than the national economy, thanks also to the opportunities provided by the international market. This has had positive effects on employment in general and youth employment rates specifically
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  The Common Agricultural Policy is the traditional instrument that Europe has used to guarantee food security and promote and stabilise agriculture. This is a policy that has evolved enormously during the years striving to respond to the challenges of the times, and to achieve a greater market orientation and respect of the environment. This long journey shows the importance Europe attaches to this sector but also the awareness that change is needed

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I wish our Italian friends the best of success for the Expo Milano 2015: may it be a driver for cooperation, innovation and change, and for economic growth in Italy, in Europe and beyond. And please, Minister Prime Minister Letta, receive already now all my congratulations for your strong commitment to bold economic reforms that come at a crucial moment, now that the Italian economy has turned to corner and economic prospects look better

L'Unione Europea è orgogliosa, Signor Sindaco Pisapia e Signor Presidente Maroni, che questa Esposizione universale si tenga a Milano, cinque anni dopo Shanghai. Come anche è orgogliosa, Signor Presidente del Consiglio Letta, che sia l'Italia a presiedere il destino del Consiglio dell'Unione Europea il prossimo mese di luglio.

Chi meglio dell'Italia, paese meraviglioso che riunisce più della metà del patrimonio culturale dell' umanità, può guidarci verso un avvenire più bello e più sereno? Vi ringrazio. I thank you

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