Search Results for common food policy

Building our common future: Finalising a “Communication of Civil Society to the EU on the Future of Agriculture and Rural Policies”   The first ARC Conference took place on 4-5 November 2010 at the Committee of the Regions in Brussels. After two 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 of Agricultural and Rural Policy”. Dacian Cioloş gave the opening address on first day of the conference. It was the most important step of the ARC network to date. Gathered in Brussels for two days, the ARC network put the final touches on its Communication of Civil Society to the European Union on the Future of Agriculture and Rural Policies.  In a common statement, the civil society organisations assembled in Brussels described the two funds through which this new policy should be implemented : the European Agricultural Fund focused on food and farming; and the European Rural Fund, focused on the wider rural economy and territorial development. […]

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 […]

  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. […]

Find the relevant documents of the CAP Reform process here. From the European Institutions to all kinds of national and international stakeholders. […]

Call for Action: A communication of European Citizens to the European Institutions on the Future of Agriculture and Rural Regions Food for all is essential – the status quo is not an option Many people in Europe seem to take sufficient and good food and a living countryside for granted. Some see agriculture as mere background for more important things in life. Others believe that farmers are the main problem in nature protection. But enough wholesome food for all and a good stewardship of nature is currently not at all guaranteed. Over a billion people go hungry. Soils are losing fertility, water resources are being depleted, and biodiversity is being lost around the globe. Climate change will further undermine efforts to feed a growing world population. It is not enough to blame others. Europe shares an essential part of responsibility for making deep change possible. European rural regions and their communities have a great potential to make it happen. We need to support farmers in making sustainable food production the rule, not the exception. We […]