FRIENDS OF THE EARTH EUROPE
BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL
WWF
27 January 2003
FARM MINISTERS URGED TO PUSH FOR REAL CAP
REFORM NOW
Brussels, Belgium:
WWF, BirdLife
International and Friends of the Earth Europe
urge EU Agriculture Ministers, meeting today
in Brussels for a presentation from
Commissioner Fischler on his Mid-Term Review
legislative proposals, to reject the
Commission’s package in favour of a real
reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.
The three environmental organisations
strongly criticise the proposals. “The
proposals are a major climb-down from the
Commission’s earlier suggestions of a
sustainable agricultural policy. Rural
development, a policy which most Member
States have been publicly supporting over the
past three years, has been abandoned”.
Specifically, the NGOs urge the Council to
rebalance the reform by:
-
Reinstating a meaningful budget
increase for sustainable rural development.
While Heads of State defined limits on the
growth of the First Pillar of CAP at the
October European Council, no such limit was
set for the Second Pillar (Rural
Development). Without a meaningful budget
increase for the Second Pillar, the switch
from intensive to extensive agriculture
will be long and difficult for farmers and
for the environment.
-
Focussing rural development spending on
agri-environment measures. A mere 1 per
cent increase in the budget over ten years
is far too little and far too slow,
particularly considering the range of new
measures proposed to support producer
organisations and food marketing. This,
accompanied by a back-tracking on
increasing support for agri-environment
seriously undermines sustainable rural
development. Agri-environment measures such
as organic farming, biodiversity management
and production of local varieties should be
the core of rural development funding.
-
Defining effective and manageable
environmental conditions for subsidies. The
proposed ‘Cross-compliance’ is complicated
and is selective on environmental
parameters (e.g. water is largely ignored).
This cannot be sufficient to ensure
sustainable farming. Cross compliance
should go beyond the current legal
standards so taxpayers get environmental
added value from CAP.
-
Phasing out export subsidies. The
damage to the developing world’s farmers as
well as damage to the environment in Europe
will continue while export subsidies remain
untouched. A deadline should be set to
phase out this subsidy for
overproduction.
For further information please
contact:
Joanna Dober, Friends of the Earth Europe,
European Campaigns Co-ordinator, Phone +32 2
542 0180, email
joanna.dober@foeeurope.org
Elizabeth Guttenstein WWF European Policy
Office, Head Agriculture and Rural
Development, phone +32 2 740 09 24, email
EGuttenstein@wwfepo.org
Edith Verhoestraete BirdLife
International, European Community Office,
European Agriculture Campaign coordinator,
phone +32 2 280 08 30, email
edith.verhoestraete@birdlifeeco.net
Hannah Bartram, BirdLife International,
Senior Agriculture Policy Officer, Phone + 44
1767 683355 ext 2033 mobile + 44 7814 414077,
email Hannah.Bartram@rspb.org.uk
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