{"id":25249,"date":"2016-03-22T14:28:40","date_gmt":"2016-03-22T13:28:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eeb.org\/?p=25249"},"modified":"2017-06-26T14:40:48","modified_gmt":"2017-06-26T12:40:48","slug":"115-environmental-health-and-social-ngos-call-for-major-review-of-eu-food-farming-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eeb.org\/es\/115-environmental-health-and-social-ngos-call-for-major-review-of-eu-food-farming-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"115 environmental, health, and social NGOs call for major review of EU food & farming policy"},"content":{"rendered":"

CAP needs root-and-branch change<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

As the Forum for the Future of Agriculture (FFA) conference kicks off in Brussels today, 115 leading environmental, health, and social NGOs (1) are calling on European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and his team to initiate an in-depth review of food production and consumption in Europe (2).<\/p>\n

Faustine Bas-Defossez, European Environmental Bureau (EEB) Senior Policy Officer for Agriculture and Bioenergy<\/strong>, said:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is time for Juncker to give Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan the mandate to open the debate on whether the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is fit-for-purpose. Given that 53 billion euros (3) is pumped into Europe\u2019s farming system every year, it is only fair that taxpayers are allowed to see if they are getting a good return for their money. The European Commission has already put much of the EU\u2019s environmental legislation through the mill, and it seems only right that the same level of scrutiny is applied to EU farm policies<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cPolicymakers continue to claim that EU farming policies are greener and fairer than ever. But science shows that this is not the case<\/em>\u00a0(4).<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need a food and farming policy that gives EU citizens access to healthy soils, water, air and, obviously, food. Farmers should be rewarded for such work, not for ploughing massive amounts of toxic chemicals into our land which are detrimental to their health, that of consumers and our nature<\/em>.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

ENDS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Notes for editors:<\/p>\n

(1)\u00a0Full list of organisations calling for a CAP Fitness Check listed here:\u00a0http:\/\/tiny.cc\/CAPFC<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

(2)\u00a0Letter to Jean-Claude Juncker from 115 NGOs calling on the European Commission to carry out a Fitness Check of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Read the EEB\u2019s official request to the European Commission for a CAP Fitness Check<\/a>.
\nA Fitness Check is a special mechanism for reviewing existing EU laws. At a special meeting of the\u00a0Regulatory Fitness and Performance Programme (REFIT) platform<\/a>\u00a0on 5 April, the EEB\u2019s demand will be assessed. The\u00a0RSPB<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Friends of the Earth Europe<\/a>, the two organisations which\u00a0represent<\/a>\u00a0the environmental interest on this platform, will follow up on the EEB\u2019s demand and further make the case for a CAP Fitness Check.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s letter follows on from a letter sent earlier this month to\u00a0Director-General Plewa<\/a>\u00a0on the Commission\u2019s public consultation on CAP greening. The consultation was very limited in scope and full of leading questions which made it incredibly difficult for us to accurately represent our concerns in our responses. Read the EEB\u2019s\u00a0submission<\/a>\u00a0to the consultation.<\/p>\n

(3)\u00a053 billion euros represents 37% of the total EU budget.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

(4)<\/p>\n