07-06-2010 Debating the Future of the CAP

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is momentarily under review because it will be reformed in 2013. The Civil Society, Member States, the Commission and the European Parliament therefore try to get as much of their opinions on the matter heard. MEP George Lyon (ALDE) member of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development was responsible for drafting up an own initiative report on the Future of the Common Agricultural Policy. Although his draft was well written with concerns for growing world population, food security, financial crisis, growing oil prices, climate change and unfair trade, it was hardly critical on the negative effect the CAP has had on developing countries and their agricultural sectors. Many amendments on the other hand give hope that the report will lead to more EU Policy Coherence for Development.

Christel Schaldemose and Asa Westlund, MEPs from the S&D group, submitted amendments together to recall the effects that the EU agricultural policy has on developing countries. Some examples of EU policy that has an effect are export subsidies, import tariffs and non-tariff barriers such as high health standards, which make it difficult for farmers in developing countries to compete. Schaldemose and Westlund insist that appropriate account of the Policy Coherence for Development agenda is taken to ensure that CAP reform is consistent with other EU initiatives with regard to its impact on Development Countries (amendment 183). Richard Ashworth (ECR) and Brian Simpson (S&D) also emphasize that the Commission should take the PCD Agenda into account during the CAP reform in respect of food security. They expect the Commission to honour commitments made in the Doha Development Agenda to abolish export refunds as part of the CAP reform (amendment 186/187). Bas Eickhout (Greens/EFA) also calls on the Commission to ensure global food security and increase food production in a sustainable, equitable and appropriate way in line with the recommendations of the 2009 IAASTD report. Finally Martin Hausling (Greens/EFA) and José Bové (Greens/EFA) bring unfair trade to the attention of the Committee. They call for an end to all forms of dumping of European produce on the markets of developing countries and all export subsidies should be discontinued from 2013 onwards, to ensure fair trade for farmers in the North and South.

According to Lyon, the CAP has met its goals with regard to achieving better productivity in the food chain, contributing to a fair standard of living for the agricultural community, market stabilisation and the provision of food supplies to EU consumers at a reasonable price. Yet it has done so at the cost of the EU taxpayer and the developing countries. The EU (and Lyon) complain about heavily subsidizing competitors (i.e. the United States), which is very hypocritical. What the EU is victim of, it is just as guilty of. Entire agricultural sectors, like tomato, cotton or poultry have collapsed in countries in Africa due to EU subsidies. Furthermore the Financial Crisis has led and will lead to an even more protective EU that will make export nearly impossible for developing countries in the near future. Therefore there is a need for reform and the time to fight for it is right now. Schaldemose, Westlund, Ahworth, Simpson, Eickhout, Hausling and Bové are all recognized as fair politicians for their efforts to make the appropriate changes necessary and to make EU policies more coherent for development. Fair Politics hopes to see their amendments adopted in the final report.

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