Strasbourg, 28/09/2006 (Agence Europe) - The 2nd Euro-Mediterranean Conference on Agriculture (which opened on Thursday afternoon at the seat of the Council of Europe) will make it possible to take stock of the main challenges raised by Euro-Mediterranean agriculture, French Green member Gérard Onesta, who is Vice-President of the European Parliament, told the press (see EUROPE 9274). One of the main challenges is water, as 60% of the world population suffering from lack of water live in the Mediterranean region. According to Mr Onesta, the Barcelona Process despite its inadequacies is the preferred framework for developing Mediterranean agriculture in the north and south and for easing competition between the producers on both shores. Revision of the European financial instrument in favour of EuroMed should serve this aim. René Van der Linden, President of the Council of Europe parliamentary Assembly, mainly sketched out the general framework in which all Mediterranean policies must be developed. In the agricultural sector, he said, funding will be less determining than the exchange of experience and know-how. Walter Schmid, in charge of farm policy at the Council of Europe, said he distrusted the free trade project in agriculture. Guy Giva, President of the IFAP (International Federation of Agricultural Producers) Mediterranean Committee, also expressed the fear that, if nothing is done, disparities will increase, and the consequences will be felt in terms of immigration. In a document forwarded to the conference, IFAP said the setting in place of a free trade area could highlight the weaknesses of agriculture to the south of the Mediterranean and accentuate them.
European Parliament Plenary Session