Debate on Organic Food Production
On Tuesday 14 May 2013 a debate on European Organic Food Production was held at the European Parliament (EP), organized by the MEP Sirpa Pietikainen and the European Parliament’s Food Policy Interest Group.
Ms Sirpa Pietikainen stressed the great interest across the EP’s parties and the countries about food. She added that is difficult to say which the right food policy is for the EU and that it was important to have a debate on a relevant issue such as the organic food production.
The first speaker of the debate was Mr Joao Onofre, DG AGRI, who firstly remarked that it is important that the EP is finally showing interest in organic farming, as by now no initiative has been undertaken by the EP on this issue.
Mr Onofre said that organic farming is a priority for the European Commission and that the review of the organic farming policy is the most important initiative of DG AGRI.
In order to review properly the European policy on organic farming Mr Onofre announced that three public hearings are being undertaken as the issue is of public interest. The review is focused on three main areas:
1) Competitiveness: the organic food market is small but is growing fast; lack of proper statistics.
2) EU production rules: avoiding that organic production becomes GMO production; need to update regulations.
3) Consumers’ confidence: creating a more coherent regulation about product labels.
Mr Onofre concluded his intervention indicating a timeline for a Commission proposal: an impact assessment report will be provided by the Commission by the end of 2013 and, by the beginning of 2014, the Commission will present a new political framework and a new action plan to implement the EU organic farming policy (the last action plan was established in 2004). It is expected to extend organic farming areas to 20 percent by 2020.
It was emphasized that the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as from 2014 is favourable in its policy design (green contributions) to the organic farming development within the EU.
Mr Onofre said that the Commission is ready to be open to know more about the “training” in organic farming production to develop a better action plan in this sector. It might be an opportunity for FAO (NRD) to show and explain what the Organization is doing in this sector.
The second speaker of the debate was Mr Marco Schlüter, Director of the IFOAM EU Group.
Mr Shluter said that since 1991 organic farming is the only food production system regulated by an EU Regulation. He analyzed all the benefits that organic farming can produce at the EU agricultural level: sustainable system solution, creating competition between organic and conventional agriculture, restrictions in organic farming drive innovation, resource efficient farming during shock crisis such as oil peak crisis. He also underlined the importance to maintain a diversity of pathways to address societal challenges by a different way of farming.
Mr Shluter claimed for a new action plan that can enable producers to use organic farming to reach some EU objectives (environment, climate change, clean energy etc.). He also asked the EU to devolve 10 percent of the budget of Horizon 2020 (EU research framework) to the research on organic farming.
Mr Shluter announced that on 2 July 2013 there will be a meeting on organic farming in Vilnius, Lithuania, organized by the government of Lithuania as new presidency of the EU Council.
He also showed some data regarding the organic sector: the organic sector represents a market of 21.5 billion euro; it has a growth rate of 9 percent; since 2001, in the EU there are 10.6 million hectares of land in organic farming; it represents 290,000 producers.
He closed his intervention by saying that the review of the organic farming regulation has not to be a total change but it has to be a wise use of implementing rules.
From: Denis, Isabel (FAOLOB)
Sent: 21 May 2013 16:15
To: Scialabba, Nadia (NRDD)
Cc: Denis, Isabel (FAOLOB)
Subject: 14/5/2013- Debate at the EU Parliament on European Organic Food Production
Ms Scialabba,
For your information
On Tuesday 14 May 2013 a debate on European Organic Food Production was held at the European Parliament (EP), organized by the MEP Sirpa Pietikainen and the European Parliament’s Food Policy Interest Group. Ms Sirpa Pietikainen stressed the great interest across the EP’s parties and the countries about food. She added that it is difficult to say which the right food policy is for the EU and that it was important to have a debate on a relevant issue such as the organic food production. The first speaker of the debate was Mr Joao Onofre, DG AGRI, who firstly remarked that it is important that the EP is finally showing interest in organic farming, as by now no initiative has been undertaken by the EP on this issue. Mr Onofre said that organic farming is a priority for the European Commission and that the review of the organic farming policy is the most important initiative of DG AGRI. Find report attached
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