



CAP reform - MEPs miss opportunity to overhaul EU agriculture policy
by Redaktion (comments: 0)

(Picture: Colourful actions in Strasbourg)The Greens/EFA MEPs wish to beat the never ending logic of food scandals. Therefore, as part of the CAP reform package, they made the following proposals to beat this vicious circle:

• support for farmers' organisations so as to strengthen their bargaining position against the dominant market position of traders and supermarket chains
• adaptation of hygiene rules which currently favour industrial food systems and have destroyed decentralised food processing
• crop rotation including leguminous protein plants. This basic farming practice can counter and mitigate climate change thanks to lower use of chemical inputs and smash monocultures. It will also reduce the protein deficit and allow farmers to produce their own feed, with the aim being to replace soy imports
• change of public procurement rules to include criteria like seasonal, local and organic food in public and school refectories
• Guaranteeing support for rural development is also vital for strengthening short-distance food supply chains and quality local production
(Picture: Give family farming and organic agriculture a chance)

After the vote, Green MEP and co-chair of the EP's agriculture committee José Bové said: "MEPs have today voted for the CAP to plough ahead unsustainably, with an outcome that is even worse for the environment than, and just as unfair as, the current model. MEPs have utterly failed to seize an historic opportunity to overhaul EU agricultural policy and make the CAP fit for the 21st Century. The fact that this is the first time the EP has had a say on the CAP as a co-decider makes today's outcome even more regrettable. (Picture: Business as usual - MEPs failed to seize an historic opportunity to overhaul EU agricultural policy)

Green agriculture spokesperson Martin Häusling (MEP, Germany) (Picture)

Green agriculture spokesperson Bas Eickhout (MEP, Netherlands) concluded: "MEPs regrettably voted to maintain the damaging export refunds instrument which dumps EU farm products onto fragile markets in developing countries. This was compounded by the failure to provide for measures to monitor the effects of the CAP on long term food production capacity in the least developed countries. Proposals adding rules based on the water framework directive, which would improve the environmental performance of agriculture, also fell. This is clearly at odds with what the public wants and these senseless proposals to use taxpayers' money to fund an outdated system will not be accepted by the public."

Video: Statement Benny Haerlin:
Instead, nationalistic bargaining arguments as has been the habit of agricultural ministers over the past decades, unfortunately have survived the opening of the CAP to democratic decision making. Agricultural policy, a vast majority of MEPs from all groups seems to have agreed, was simply too complicated and too boring to make a serious effort to understand its impact. The farm lobby had always preached that these 40 percent of the EU budget were incomprehensible and untouchable. Today the majority gave in and handed over the billions to the specialists and their vested interests“, said Haerlin.
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