Brussels, 27/01/2003 (Agence Europe) - "Heated" reactions from farming organisations and NGOs to mid term legislative proposals on CAP have been largely hostile. The following provides a summary of them:
According to the Committee of Agricultural Organisations in the European Union and the General Committee for Agricultural Cooperation in the European Union (COPA and COGECA), "Everybody in Europe would be worse off under the Commission's mid-term proposals…in fact only the EU's major trading partners benefit". The organisations "call upon the Council and Parliament to change the content and timing of the reform in such a way that the EU will first negotiate in the WTO on the basis of the current mandate…thus allowing the accession countries to be fully involved in decision making". COPA and COGECA have criticised the Commission for changing "the CAP just before the new members join ".
The European Council of Young Farmers (ECYF) believes that reforming the CAP every three years risks provoking a loss in confidence of youngsters in the system with them leaving farming altogether. The ECYF is refusing to support such a reform made on the "basis of new production levels and historic payments" which would subsequently engender additional barriers to new arrivals on the market and create "generation change".
The European Farmers Coordination (CPE) believes that "the proposal of the European Commission does not correspond to the demagogic presentation of Commissioner Fischler because it's running counter to the economic, social and environmental interests of the population and the ruin of small and medium farms".
Oxfam, a non-governmental organisation stated that the proposals , "will do nothing to end EU dumping on poor countries and could de-rail the whole Doha Development Round". Oxfam, has serious doubts about the efficacity of this system for stopping over-production. Oxfam is requesting a timetable for gradually getting rid of direct aid by the next WTO ministerial meeting in Cancun (Mexico) in September.
Friends of the Earth have criticised the Commission for having "significantly watered down" the proposals presented in 2002 and with the gradual transfer of direct aid to rural development in 2006 instead of earlier.
European food industry supports "realistic approach
The Confederation of the Food and Drink Industries of the EU (CIAA), however, has indicated that it supports the realistic approach in relation to market forces, "as it considers meeting the balance in the EU markets and international deadlines and the legislative proposals on the mid term review of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The CIAA believes that, "decoupling support to production, in order to allow the progressive opening of CAP to market forces" is essential for improving competitiveness in EU farming, while ensuring that the different production sectors which provide processing industries are preserved. Industry leaders "questioned the credibility" of the Commission's proposals in being able to reach its sustainable development objectives and considers that "more significant means will have to be provided" to attain these objectives.