Friends of the Earth is very disappointed by the weak reforms proposed today by the European Commission. Commissioner Fischler has significantly weakened the Mid Term Review of the Common Agricultural Policy compared to the proposals that were presented on 10 July 2002.

European citizens have made clear that they want something in return for the 45 billion Euro that is being channeled into agriculture every year, but the Commission is unwilling to propose real reform. The new goals of the CAP should be quality food, sustainable farming, localisation and local diversity.

Rural Development: less and later

Commissioner Fischler fails to channel significant funds into the second pillar of CAP. In his original proposal he intended to channel 20% of first pillar money to Rural Development. Now only 6% will be transferred to the second pillar, and that transfer will start only in 2006 instead of 2004. On top of that, agri-environmental measures will now get lower priority in his proposals. This is very bad news for the many farmers that want to move into more sustainable farming. It is also very bad news for areas of high nature value where farmers act as environmental stewards.

Cross Compliance: inadequate

More cross compliance is necessary. All CAP payments should be conditional on strict environmental, animal welfare and food safety standards. But the Commission intends to make payments conditional on only part of current EU law. Not all of EU environmental legislation is even included. Cross compliance should at least include compliance with existing laws and should aim to encourage even higher standards (e.g. reducing pesticide use).

Ceiling of 300.000 Euro: dropped

In his original proposal, Commissioner Fischler intended to put a 300.000 ceiling per farm on CAP payments. This was already an excessively high amount, but now the new proposal doesn’t mention any ceiling at all. The European Commission has given in to pressure from the big farmers.

Export subsidies: continue untouched

The EU must address one of the central flaws of the CAP namely the goal of aligning farm gate prices to world market prices in order to be competitive on the world market. World market prices are artificially low because the agricultural superpowers (EU, US) engage in dumping on the world market. Export subsidies have to be abolished because they are damaging for developing countries and they reward overproduction in Europe. A new CAP should focus on localisation of consumption and production, instead of pursuing the WTO goal of a single world hypermarket of agriculture and food. And farmers should get a fair price for their produce when they produce in a sustainable manner.

Farmers now have to swallow the worst parts of the original proposals of Commissioner Fischler. The positive elements have been significantly weakened, farm gate prices will be decreased, and there will be hardly any more money for rural development and organic farming.

Learn more about the Friends of the Earth Europe agriculture campaign at www.choosefoodchoosefarming.org

Contacts:
Kees Kodde, +31(0)20 - 550 73 78 kees.kodde@milieudefensie.nl
Joanna Dober, +32(0)2 – 542 01 88, joanna.dober@foeeurope.org

 

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.