Agenda

This is a crucial time to discuss food and agriculture in Europe since the new policy that is under discussion could be law for about ten years.

As you might know there has been a kick-off conference organized by the European Commission on 19/20 July 2010in Brussels  to make a sort of inventory of all the ideas about the CAP 2013 that have been handed in to Commissioner Dacian Ciolos. Over 600 participants from many European and national stakeholders (agriculture, environment, rural devt, …) and Institutions participated. Several groups from our network also participated, and a proposal for a better CAP drawn up by researchers (see 'Documents') was distributed there. (see 'documents)

SOME DATES:

Commissioned Ciolos presented his Çommunication’on `7 November 2010.

Timeline:

  • The council will from now on discuss something every month.
  • Parliament has started to discuss it; there will be a hearing on 25 Jan. where ECVC  will also speak.
  • Before this: 12 Jan enlarged advisory group, only for stakeholders.
  • The rapporteur is a conservative form the Eur. People's Party who has already started his work.
  • The council will define its position 17-18 March, Brussels(We need to influence before that time).
  • Event in Hungaryend of May: informal council of agr ministers. 29-31 May Debrecen. 
  • Hungaryis chair of EU in the 2nd half year. The Hungarian Platform (member of our group) will do a side-event which will be paid for out of EU funds.
  • June G20 agricultural ministers will meet in France. The subject will be food speculation.
  • The European Parliament works more slowly (and transparently) and will decide in June in a plenary in Strasbourg. (Influencing THEM will have to be done before that time).
  • The EU Commission will publish the legislative proposal in July and then discuss it in the council. Once the legislative proposal is submitted, the same process as now with the communication will be repeated in the EP. By that time there will be another rapporteur, from the Socialist group    (Capoulas Santos)
  • After that a reconciliation committee will reconcile the views of the council and parliament. That may be by the end of 2012.
  • The debate in council and parliament may take one year. (2011+12)

In the middle of 2011the legislative proposals will be presented by the Commission. Since the Lisbon treaty has now come into force the agricultural policy will be decided with full involvement of the European Parliament, the so called co-decision procedure between Council and EP. The first half of 2011 will be a crucial time to lobby for our vision of a new food and agriculture policy, and to try to involve all the relevant stakeholders in the debate. During the decision-making process after that, the debate will be focused on the legislative instruments proposed by the Commission. The decision-making process should take until the end of 2012.

 

What can YOU do to involve people in your country in these developments and in activities for food sovereignty?   

In the first place: check if other organisations in your country have already signed the European Food Declaration, and liaise with them. It is easier to organise things together with others.
The collecting of signatures is still continuing, so you could use any opportunity to direct people to the site. And you might try to get articles into the newspapers or other media and mention the website. You might also present the declaration to your members of Parliament (including the Members of the European Parliament), and ask their opinion (and write about THAT in the newspapers and on websites!)

 See ‘Best Practices’ on this website for info about 'food sovereingty' activities in Austria and Italy.
 See http://nyeleni2011.net/ for info about a big 'grassroots' meeting (as in Nyeleni, 2007, Mali) that is being planned from 16-21 August in Krems, Austria.

Please inform us of what has happened and is going to happen in your country!