ACT Alliance EU together with a broad range of NGOs call on President Juncker for a review and reorientation of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to deliver on sustainable food and farming systems.
President Juncker
European Commission
Rue de la Loi / Wetstraat 200
1049 Brussels
Belgium
Brussels, 22nd March 2016
Subject: CAP Fitness Check – Can the CAP deliver a sustainable European food and farming system?
Dear President Juncker, CC: First Vice-President Timmermans, Vice-President Georgieva, Commissioner Hogan,
The undersigned organisations active in farming, development, environment, climate, animal welfare, food systems and public health, appeal to you to consider a review of the European food and farming system. We believe that this system is largely broken and that the main policy currently addressing it – the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) – requires an urgent assessment, as it seems not equipped to address the fundamental challenges that Europe is facing in this sector.
Some of the most important indicators of the state of the food and farming system in Europe include an unfair system for farmers, a constant crisis in agricultural markets, a continuous decline in the state of natural resources, failures in delivering on animal welfare, negative public health outcomes, and severe negative impacts beyond Europe’s borders. The CAP has not only failed to prevent these problems but in many cases has exacerbated them.
In the context of the European Commission’s Regulatory Fitness and Performance (REFIT) programme, the Commission has in recent years carried out Fitness Checks for numerous policies, including several areas of EU environmental legislation such as those concerning freshwater, waste, birds and habitats. By contrast, the CAP, which accounts for almost 40% of the EU Budget, has not yet been identified for such an evaluation. We believe that this represents a missed opportunity, especially in light of the issues raised above and outlined in Annex 1, which clearly suggest this policy’s inability to address key societal concerns.
In light of the Commission’s Better Regulation agenda, rising levels of Euroscepticism which are challenging the EU and its ability to reform itself, and the fact that an increasing number of governments are facing severe budget constraints, the time has come to fundamentally question the CAP and verify whether it is good value for money and whether it fulfils its objectives. This challenge cannot be addressed by a limited exercise, such as the previous round of reform, nor with the foreseen marginal changes to its ‘greening’ component. The undersigned organisations consider that a Fitness Check process will ensure that fundamental questions will be asked about the structure of the policy and some of its basic principles, which have been left untouched for decades. Civil society has already addressed your Commission pointing out the need to undergo a REFIT of the CAP a number of times.
In order to decide whether or not it makes sense to maintain the CAP in its current form, and whether the allocation of substantial budgetary resources towards it is justified, we believe it is essential to answer all five Fitness Check questions:
- Is the CAP effective in achieving its objectives?
- Is the CAP efficient in achieving its objectives?
- Is the CAP coherent with other agreed EU political objectives and policies?
- Is the CAP still a relevant policy?
- What EU added-value does the CAP provide to EU citizens?
We strongly believe that only a serious Fitness Check of the CAP will ensure that such a policy delivers real benefits to EU citizens, farmers, our environment, our animals, our health and climate. It is time to have an unbiased debate about the reform of the CAP, the EU budget, and other policies that have an effect on our food and farming system.
We hope you will listen to our call and take the necessary steps to bring forward this fundamental debate.
We thank you in advance for your response.
Signatories
ACT Alliance EU
ActionAid
AirClim
An Taisce
Arche Noah
ARC2020
Asociación de apicultores de la Comunidad de Madrid (Apiscam)
Asociación RedMontañas
Asociación Trashumancia y Naturaleza
Association of Italian Chiropractors
Associazione Italiana per l’Agricoltura Biologica
Austrian Caving Association (Verband österreichischer Höhlenforscher)
Austrian Green Farmers Association
Bee Life European Beekeeping Coordination
BirdLife Austria
BirdLife Cyprus
BirdLife Europe
Bread for the World
Brinzal
Bulgaria in Europe
Bulgarian society for the protection of birds
BUND (Friends of the Earth Germany)
CEEweb for Biodiversity
Centre for Sustainable Alternatives
Centrul de Consultanta Ecologica Galati
Clean Air Action Group
Coastwatch
Compassion World Farming
Confederación en Defensa de la Abeja en la Cornisa Cantábrica CODACC
Czech Society for Ornithology
Danish Ecological Council
Dansk Ornitologisk Forening
Deutsche Umwelthilfe e.V. (Environmental Action Germany)
Deutscher Naturschutzring (DNR)
Ecologistas en Acción
EFNCP
Estonian Society for Nature Conservation
Eurogroup for Animals
EuroNatur
EUROPARC
Europe and We Bulgaria
European Alcohol Policy Alliance (Eurocare)
European Central Council of Homeopaths
European Environmental Bureau
European Federation of the Associations of Dietitians (EFAD)
European Heart Network (EHN)
European Institute of Women’s Health
European Public Health Alliance
EU-Umweltbüro
Federación de Asociaciones de Apicultores de Cantabria FACC
Fédération Inter-Environnement Wallonie
Federation of Environmental Organizations of Cyprus
Federation SEPANSO Aquitaine
FERN
Foro Asturias Sostenible
France Nature Environnement
France Nature Environnement Provence-Alpes-Côtes d’Azur
FRAPNA, Federation Rhone-Alpes de Protection de la Nature
Friends of the Earth Europe
Fundatia ADEPT Transilvania
Green Action Association (Zöld Akció Egyesület)
GREEN BALKANS – Federation of Nature Conservation NGO’s
Greenpeace
Health Equalities Group
Hellenic Ornithological Society
Iniciativa Comunales
IOGT-NTO
Justice and Environment
L’Associazione Medici per l’Ambiente – ISDE Italia
Latvian Fund for Nature
Latvian Ornithological Society
Legambiente Onlus
Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO)
Lipu – BirdLife Italy
Lithuanian Ornithological Society
LPN – Liga para a Protecção da Natureza
MME/BirdLife Hungary
Natagora
natur&ëmwelt
Naturefriends International
Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V. (NABU)
Natuurpunt
Naturefriends Greece
New Water Culture Foundation (FNCA)
ÖBV – Via Campesina Austria
OTOP
PAN Italy
QUERCUS, National Association for Nature Conservation (PORTUGAL)
Raptor Protection of Slovakia
Rhodope mountains without borders
Rural platform of Slovakia
Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems
SEO/BirdLife
Sindicato Labrego Galego
Slow Food
Slow Food Youth Network
Smoke Free Partnership
Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves
SOL – People for solidarity, ecology and lifestyle, Austria
SOS/BirdLife Slovakia
Spanish Council of Land Stewardship
Suomen luonnonsuojeluliitto – The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation
Sustainable Water Network (SWAN)
Sustainble Food Trust
Swedish Society for Nature Conservation
The Danish Society for Nature Conservation / Danmarks Naturfredningsforening
Unión Nacional de Asociaciones de Caza (UNAC)
Vereniging Natuurmonumenten
Vereniging Nederlands Cultuurlandschap
Vier Pfoten
Vogelbescherming Nederland
Welthaus Diözese Graz-Seckau
WWF