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Recent updates

Update on the European Parliament’s ‘Dess’ Report

The European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development is currently working on an own-initiative report “CAP towards 2020: meeting the food, natural resources and territorial challenges of the future” and the different political groups are now trying to find a common ground. This is done by agreeing on compromise amendments to the draft report which are meant to reduce the large number of amendments tabled by the committee members. The current draft compromise amendments, proposed by the rapporteur Albert Dess, are expected to reduce the number of amendments to be voted from 1300 to around 1000. But the staff of political groups continues exchanging views and believes that more work needs to be done in order to further reduce the sheer number of amendments and achieve a substantially shortened text. The report will need a concise structure and an unmistakable wording if the European Parliament, with its new co-decision powers, wants to send a clear and strong message to the European Commission and the Council of the Member States. Unsolved key points are the […]

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The Future of LEADER – An inside view by Robert Lukesch

From 27 – 29 April 2011,  the second conference of LINC (LEADER Inspired Network Community) took place in Bad Schandau (Sachsen, Germany). At the LINC conference, representatives of Local Action Groups (LAGs), stakeholders in rural development and for the first time also representatives from the European Network for Rural Development and the European Commission were present in this vibrant cooperation and networking event. ARC Core Group member Robert Lukesch (ÖAR Regional Consulting, Austria) attended the conference and summarised for us the main ideas of the European Commission’s plans for the future LEADER programme which were presented by Rob Peters, Head of the European Commission’s Unit “European Network for Rural Development and Monitoring of Rural Development”. The Commission expects initiatives and projects at sub-regional level to be crucial in achieving smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The relevant legislative proposal is expected to be adopted by the Commission in autumn 2011 along with all other CAP post 2013 proposals. In this framework, LEADER is considered to become the main development instrument at sub-regional level and the Commission […]

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–The Issues

Introduction The European Union is now reviewing its Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) post 2013. This new Policy will be implemented for seven years. Within these seven years ARC foresees very important changes that will become the basis for the CAP until 2020. The European Commission has already started the legislative work with the European Parliament in tow. Why should you care? Academics have established that European-level regulations affect about 70% of national legislation. Furthermore the Common Agriculture Policy is the main European budget post. The CAP sets the direction of the European Agriculture ship for the next 7 years. If you work in agriculture it will affect your sales, your costs, your subsidies and most definitely the way you work. And even if you do not work in agriculture, we all need to feed, to drink. Every citizen eats bread or cereals for breakfast, drink milk and juice. We all depend on agriculture for our Sunday barbecue and our veggie day. Rules and regulations thought up by the European policy-makers will, one way or the […]

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–ARC Communication Summary

  On 16 November 2010, ARC submitted its own proposals for a reform of European Agriculture and Rural Development Policies to the European Commission and other EU institutions.  The document, entitled “A Communication from Civil Society on the future of Agricultural and Rural Policy” is a product of a six month process involving consultations, conferences and negotiations between NGOs from across Europe. It calls for a radical review of policies for both agriculture and rural development.  We propose that policies from 2014 onwards should embrace: A paradigm shift in agriculture and in food systems, from the existing dominant industrial–style farming and centralised food industry to sustainable farming everywhere and a diversified pattern of regional and local production and processing of food, with closer connections between farmers and consumers, and high care for public health, environment and animal welfare. An economic, social and environmental renaissance of rural areas, building upon the strength and diversity of communities, cultures and resources, linked effectively to place-based territorial development and honouring the EU’s commitment to social, economic and territorial cohesion. […]

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–ARC Process

The ARC started with a call for action which was signed up to by a number of supporting civil society organisations and networks on 26 April 2010. The idea is to run this process for at least a year during the start-up phase of reforms of European policies, focussing on the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) and related fields. Our initiative is complementary to that of the European Commission, which has launched a public debate and a website on CAP reform. However, that debate is supposed to end in June and will be concluded with a conference in mid July 2010. We suggest continuing discussions beyond this date. We envisage drawing first conclusions of the ARC in July in order to contribute to the conference of the Commission, but to continue working on a common message to be adopted in October this year. The idea is to deliver a “communication of European civil society to the European institutions”, to be available when the Commission adopts its Communication to the Parliament and the Council of Ministers. You […]

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The ARC2020 Communication

After several rounds of consultation within the ARC network, members and supporters of the ARC, along with observers, finalised their Communication of Civil Society to the European Institutions on the future Agricultural and Rural Policy on November 5th 2010. Follow the link below to read the document, which has now been translated into 12 different languages. […]

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–ARC Communication – Translations

After several rounds of consultation within the ARC network, the ARC members and supporters, along with observers finalised their Communication of Civil Society to the European institutions on the future Agricultural and Rural Policy on the 5th November 2010. Below you can find the Communication in 12 diferent languages.   Language ARC Communication Communication Summary English French Français German Deutsch Italian Italiano Spanish Español Polish Polski Dutch Nederlands Swedish Svenska Czech Čeština Greek Ελληνικά Hungarian Magyar Finnish Suomi  

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Photos

The 2nd ARC Conference on 13 July 2011 German Farmers’ rally “Sternfahrt” arrives in Berlin on 6 June 2011 ARC at the European Parliament Hearing on the CAP post 2013 — 26 January 2011 ARC at the ‘We’ve had enough!’ demonstration in Berlin — 22 January 2011 Delivering ARC’s Communication to the EU — 18 November 2010 ARC Conference: Building our common future: Finalising a Communication of Civil Society to the EU on the Future of Agriculture and Rural Policies — 4-5 November 2010 The ARC at the CAP post 2013 Conference — 19-20 July 2010

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–Video

Interview with Commissioner Cioloş at the ARC Conference European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dacian Cioloş, is interviewed at the ARC Conference in Brussels on 4 November 2010. Members of the Agricultural and Rural Convention met to finalise their Communication from Civil Society to the European Union Institutions on the future Agricultural and Rural Policy.   Michael Dower’s speech on behalf of ARC 2020 at the ‘CAP post 2013’ conference Michael Dower outlines the principles and visions of ARC 2020 at the European Commission’s ‘CAP post 2013’ conference on 20 July 2010.   ARC Interview with European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Dacian Cioloş Commissioner Cioloş sat down with the ARC at the CAP post 2013 Conference in July to discuss civil society’s role in the reform of the CAP.   The Agricultural and Rural Convention Find out more about the ARC in this short video presentation.

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Proposals for reform

Spanish Network Rural Development EN French National Federation of Organic Agriculture FR For a New European Agriculture and Food policy (CAP researchers) EN – summary European Coordination Via Campesina IT – EN – ES – FR Forum Synergies EN European Food Declaration 16 languages AGROSTAR EN IFOAM EU Group EN Committee of the Regions EN – FR Agricultural Economics Society conference EN Europa Nostra, ECOVAST, RED, EAA, EAC EN ECOVAST EN Notre Europe EN – FR UK Food Group Briefing – Securing Future Food EN EU Food & Agriculture Policy for the 21st Century: alternatives to the CAP (Vredeseilanden) EN – FR – ES A new European Agricultural Policy (Vredeseilanden) NL – EN The CAP after 2013: Brno declaration of NGOs from Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia EN/CZ Coalition of Environment, Nature Conservation, Agriculture, Development, Consumer Protection and Animal Welfare Organisations DE – EN – FR Committee of the Regions-Commission of Natural Resources FR French Academy of Agriculture FR Agronomics Council of the French Ministry of Agriculture FR Confédération […]