The group of experts on the European Food Security Crisis Preparedness and Response Mechanism, established at the end of November 2021, will hold its first meeting on Wednesday 9 March.
This group is composed of representatives from Member States and some third countries, professional organisations (including Copa-Cogeca, Fertilizers Europe, Euroseed, the European Consumers’ Organisation (BEUC) and Four Paws).
At the Agriculture Council of the EU on 2 March, the ministers agreed, according to French Minister Julien Denormandie, to ask the European Commission to activate the crisis monitoring tools, in particular the European Food Security Crisis Response and Preparedness Mechanism and the High Level Group on the pig meat sector (see EUROPE 12902/3). The EU Council also suggested exceptional measures for the sectors most penalised by the rise in input costs, as well as measures to guarantee and free up European production capacity (protein-rich crops on set-aside land).
Several ministers also mentioned the need to assess the agricultural strategies of the European Green Deal in the new context of food sovereignty.
On Monday 7 March, the think tank Farm Europe called for a review of the Commission’s ‘Farm to Fork’ and ‘Biodiversity’ strategies on the grounds that the proposals “run counter to our food sovereignty and global food security”. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)