PRESS RELEASE

Brussels/Luxembourg, 11 June 2003


Friends of the Earth slams CAP reform as FAKE reform

Friends of the Earth and Global 2000, the Austrian member of the Friends of the Earth worldwide network, took action today, Wednesday 11 June 2003, in front of the meeting of the EU Agriculture Council. As Ministers arrived to decide on CAP reform, protesters demanded that Ministers go for REAL reform instead of FAKE reform.

“ The CAP reform agreement on the table stinks of industrial agriculture. If you take off the green wrapping (of the agreement), inside there is a black hole, meaning nothing for the environment and nothing for the poor. Instead there’ll be even more cash handouts to the big corporate farmers.”

Joanna Dober, Friends of the Earth Europe

Some of the protesters dressed in black to represent the industrial farmers that get the vast majority of CAP money. 80% of CAP money goes to just 20% of farmers in Europe. A sizeable number of such farmers get over 300,000 euros each from the CAP every year.

The remaining protesters silently represented the environment. The environment in Europe has suffered extreme damage over the years from CAP. Not only has the water, the soil, biodiversity and nature suffered, so have livelihoods in rural communities. Small farmers are going out of business at an unprecedented rate, while the quality of fresh food diminishes. Fruit and vegetables are dosed with high levels of pesticides while factory farms have become the norm. While European citizens demand high standards for fresh, farm produce, the CAP continues to let them down. The same damage will continue if Ministers agree the CAP reform agreement as it stands without proper attention to its environmental impact.

Friends of the Earth want a CAP that delivers for the environment and the poor:

  • stringent cross compliance including pesticide reduction targets
  • more funding for the Second Pillar (Rural Development)
  • prioritization to sustainable farming
  • no subsidized dumping on the developing world

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For photos of the action see http://www.foeeurope.org/actionphotoslux.htm

For media interviews contact:
Joanna Dober on 00 34 657 01 60 40 (mobile) of Friends of the Earth Europe
Iris Strutzmann on 00 43 664 308 65 47 (mobile) of GLOBAL 2000, Austria
Office of Friends of the Earth Europe: 00 322 542 0180
Office of GLOBAL 2000: 0043 1 812 57 30 18

Friends of the Earth is the largest grassroots environmental network in the world 
campaigning to protect the environment and to create sustainable societies.
Friends of the Earth Europe (FoEE) unites more than 30 national member groups with thousands of local groups.

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