Case: Policy coherence in general

18-10-2010 MEP Guerrero Salom concerned about food security

Millennium Development Goal (MDG) one, is aimed at ending hunger and poverty worldwide. Today 925 million people do not have enough to eat. The food crisis of 2007-2008 only emphasized the importance of this first goal, and demonstrated how easily progress can evaporate when market prices start to rise. In order to fight this problem the Commission has installed a fund for a rapid EU response when this occurs again. This is only one example of how the EU is committed to the MDGs.

However Fair Politics thinks this is not enough. A lot has to be done before MDG one can be achieved by 2015, since the actual number of people living in hunger has not decreased nearly enough. MEP Enrique Guerrero Salom (S&D) asked the Commission about this in the light of the upcoming EU-Africa summit. He wonders whether food security should become a specific partnership in the joint EU-Africa strategy and implemented in other existing partnerships. Besides very importantly Guerrero Salom raises the inter-linkages between access to food, infrastructures, land ownership, and climate change. He perfectly demonstrates the need for more policy coherence to ensure food security.

We recognize Enrique Guerrero Salom (S&D), as Fair Politician for his concerns raised about food security. Therefore he will earn a point on our monitoring system, and continue to be in the running for Fair Politician 2010-2011.

Monitor fair: S&D

Parliamentary Questions
17 September 2010
H-0484/2010
QUESTION TIME, by Enrique Guerrero Salom (S&D)

Subject: EU-Africa summit/food safety

In connection with World Food Day on 16 October 2009, the FAO has recently indicated that the situation remains unsatisfactory despite a slight improvement regarding the number of those suffering from chronic hunger in the world (925 million this year, compared with 1023 million in 2009). The lack of food safety is threatening to undermine MDG objective 1, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. In the run-up to the next EU-Africa summit (Tripoli, 29 and 30 November), many of those concerned are anxious that the strategic partnership should place greater emphasis on food safety, including issues relating to access to food, infrastructures, land ownership and adjustment to climate change. Does the Commission consider it necessary to introduce a new specific partnership for food safety under the joint Africa-EU Strategy? Does it intend to step up coordination on horizontal issues in the context of existing partnerships, this being necessary to achieve food safety in Africa?