Case: Policy coherence in general

21-09-2010 MEP Michèle Striffler asks the Council about the link between the loss of biodiversity and poverty

Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Michèle Striffler (EPP) asked the Council, on behalf of the Committee on Development, what the policy responses will be to the loss of biodiversity as a new challenge to alleviate poverty in the light of the upcoming International Day for Biological Diversity. She specifically points towards Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) when it comes to poverty reduction and economic sectoral activities.

Biodiversity can be a big asset for developing countries in many ways. Divers flora and fauna can attract tourists, but it can also lead to a flourishing agricultural or fisheries sector. However, these treasures are not often treaded well, which leads to a loss of biodiversity. Moreover, the profits made with these natural assets do usually not go to people who really need and depend on them, for instance the local fisherman or the small-scale farmer.  

Michèle Striffler (EPP) has already given an excellent example of how international trade can harm biodiversity in her written question to the Council of July 7 on palm oil. Explained is that particularly palm oil leads to deforestation and the destruction of numerous plant and animal habitats. Although the demand for these types of oil is high and the producing countries gain wealth, the environment is getting destroyed. This threatens both humans and animals. Therefore causing incoherence between the European trade, environmental, and development policies. 

Article 208 of the Lisbon treaty states that the goal of development policy of the European Union is to reduce poverty world wide. Furthermore the EU has committed itself to the Millennium Development Goals. European policies should be in line with these commitments, instead of harming, like is pointed out in this case, biodiversity in developing countries.

Michèle Striffler (EPP) is recognized as Fair Politician for expressing the need for PCD on the field of biodiversity. For asking these two questions, she will be awarded two points in our monitoring system.

Monitor fair: EPP(2)

Parliamentary questions
14 July 2010
O-0107/2010
QEUSTION FOR ORAL ANSWER, by Michèle Striffler, on behalf of the Committee on Development

Subject: Contribution of biodiversity and its ecosystem services to development and the achievement of the MDGs
1. The UN General Assembly has declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity. Also, the theme of the International Day for Biological Diversity in 2010 is Biodiversity for Development and Poverty Alleviation. Reversing biodiversity loss is a key dimension of the MDG agenda, which contributes to progress on some of the key MDG goals such as ending extreme poverty and hunger, ensuring health and education for all, and achieving environmental sustainability.
2. What are the policy responses of the Council with a view to addressing, at the Tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 10) in Nagoya, the loss of biodiversity as a new challenge to alleviate poverty? In particular, how does it plan to address, both financially and technically, the needs of the least developed countries? In this context, does the Council intend to adapt the DCI and EDF specific objectives to this topic?
3. In relation to policy coherence for development, what concrete measures and what policy mix does the Council intend to promote to ensure that the protection of biodiversity contributes to poverty reduction? What policy responses has the Council envisaged to ensure the mainstreaming of biodiversity into economic sectoral activities, including agriculture, forestry, fisheries and tourism?
4. Finally, what kind of mechanisms does the Council plan to support at the COP-10 to safeguard the rights enshrined in the Aarhus Convention and ensure that the rights of the poor are respected and that they are involved in the consultation process, while ensuring an equitable sharing of the benefits arising from genetic resources and ecosystem services?

Parliamentary questions
7 July 2010
E-5111/2010
WRITTEN QUESTION, by Michèle Striffler (EPP)

Subject: Palm oil and the prevention of deforestation
On 16 June 2010 Parliament adopted, by an overwhelming majority, the report on provision of food information to consumers. This text stipulates that the specific vegetable origin must be labelled on certain types of vegetable oil.
The production of certain types of vegetable oil (palm oil in particular) necessitates a level of plant harvesting which can have extremely damaging consequences for the environment, such as deforestation and the destruction of numerous plant and animal habitats.
The report intends to give consumers an informed choice in products, but the Commission and Council must also take action at a global level to protect biodiversity.
Quite aside from the ethical considerations of this issue, current and future generations rely on the fruits of biodiversity and the ecosystem (for the production of food, fuel, fibre and medicines, regulation of water, air and climate and the maintenance of soil fertility and the cycle of nutrients). The products of biodiversity underpin competitiveness, growth, employment and wellbeing in the EU and play a central role in the economies of Member States. They are also crucial to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in developing countries.
Palm oil cultivation leads, however, to large-scale deforestation in producing countries (Indonesia and Malaysia in particular), where the destruction of virgin forests directly threatens the habitats of numerous plant and animal species.
What action will the Council take to ensure the effective implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (which numerous palm oil producing countries have signed)?
What steps does the Council intend to take to encourage greater coherence between policies on trade, environmental protection and development cooperation so as to protect biodiversity in developing countries?