Declaration of the 2nd Congress of European Farmers on 16 and 17 October 2006 in Strasbourg

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On the occasion of their second “Congress of European Farmers” in Strasbourg, European farmers, men and women, adopted the following declaration:

Agriculture – indispensable for European society

European agriculture is characterised by the diversity and sustainability both of its food and renewable raw material production and by the provision of other services, including the preservation of the cultural landscape and the environment. It is an important part of the economy as a whole and indispensable for European society.

This diversity of services, be they marketable or non-marketable, can only be secured in the long-term if those working in agriculture receive a remuneration for all the services they provide to society which is comparable with that in other sectors of the economy.

Agriculture is the most important economic activity in rural areas and thus in 90% of EU territory. Together with sectors up- and downstream, it provides work and an income to over 34 million people. Farming also plays a crucial role in maintaining the competitiveness of rural areas. Another factor that will contribute to the achievement of this objective is the renewal of generations in agriculture.

European farmers and their co-operatives require a stable business climate

The European model of agriculture is being increasingly challenged in a globalised world, where different visions for farming are practiced and put into direct competition. While the European market is being opened up even more to third countries, existing market management instruments are being significantly weakened or abandoned and new instruments are often insufficiently funded.

All measures taken at EU and national level must be examined in detail to determine their impact on the ability of European agriculture to compete successfully, as well as their impact on the economic and social fabric of rural areas. Sustainable production standards must be set globally through the relevant international bodies.

In the WTO negotiations, the Commission must under all circumstances safeguard current EU agricultural policy. It must make no concessions beyond the last offer of October 2005. The European model of agriculture has in the past been preserved by the fact that there is a single market with external protection. The functioning of this model must not be jeopardised. Non-trade concerns must receive greater consideration in the WTO negotiations. The Commission must not embark on bilateral agreements but focus on achieving a fair WTO agreement.

The Heads of State and Governments’ decision of December 2005 on safeguarding the budget for the EU agricultural policy must apply and must not be jeopardised in the review of EU policies in 2008/2009. Agricultural policy must provide the stable environment for long-term decision-making that farmers and their co-operatives require. The 20% voluntary modulation constitutes a step towards renationalisation of the CAP and should be repealed. Certain principles should always apply to budget decisions, notably that the CAP must not be renationalised and that any transfer from the first pillar must be governed by the same rules as existing modulation.

Financial support is important, but farmers and their co-operatives, being marketoriented entrepreneurs, above all require a stable framework for decision making that includes a support policy and effective instruments which assist them in their own efforts to enhance their competitiveness.

Agricultural enterprises make a unique and irreplaceable contribution to achieving the Lisbon goals. Priority under rural development policy should therefore be given to improving the competitiveness of the agri-food sector and the installation of young farmers. This must be reflected both in the measures drawn up by the Member States and the budget determined. The specific competitive difficulties of the new Member States must also be addressed through appropriate measures.

Co-operatives are one of the most crucial actors on behalf of farmers. They play a fundamental role in creating and developing new products and brands with high added value and in strengthening the market position of farmers vis-à-vis the concentration of supply by the supermarkets. They contribute substantially to rural development, linking social, economic and territorial objectives. Therefore, the cooperative model must be supported through specific and adequate legislation so as to enable it to meet future challenges in a pro-active way.

Increasing concentration among food retailers weakens the market position of farmers. That is why further action should be taken with our partners to rebalance the power in the food chain and to achieve a fair trading environment. Such action should be simple, workable and user-friendly. It should focus on both the regulatory approach (e.g. competition law, restraining the abuses of buying power) and voluntary schemes (e.g. codes of good practice, quality assurance schemes).

State aid for the intra-Community promotion of processed and unprocessed agricultural products is a very significant help for European farmers and their cooperatives. It must continue to be provided in the future. The same applies to support for animal husbandry and the fight against sanitary and phytosanitary diseases. A ban on this and other national aid would weaken the competitiveness of farming in Europe. Agricultural co-operatives, regardless of their size, should also be eligible for such aid.

Appropriate tools for managing risks and crises in agriculture should be available to EU farmers and their co-operatives to help them deal with future market crises, natural disasters and animal health or food safety crises. This could include, amongst others, effective harvest insurance.

Regulation of agriculture must be appropriate

AFurther to the reform, the European agricultural policy must be simplified, but this simplification should not lead to a further weakening or a complete deregulation of the CAP. Transparency of agricultural payments must be managed in the same way as for all public payments to businesses or private persons.

The competitiveness of agriculture is greatly dependant on how the European regulations on environmental protection are implemented. European farmers and their co-operatives support meaningful ecological reference conditions that preserve and improve the quality of Europe’s environment, but reject the introduction of requirements that would make it impossible for farming to be continued in an effective way.

When amending the EU directive on plant protection products, care must be taken to draw up clear criteria of approval and to ensure that European producers have access to a sufficient number of active substances.

As far as livestock breeding is concerned, additional measures aimed at improving animal welfare, are supported by agriculture as a matter of principle, provided they are regulated generally and based on science. Additional, special regulations for individual animal species are not deemed to be appropriate. International competitiveness must also be taken into account.

Agricultural market policy must continue to play an effective role in the different commodity markets

Even after the reform of the agricultural policy in 2003, the European Commission must continue to live up to its responsibility of stabilising European agricultural markets. This includes pursuing state intervention measures to offset significant fluctuations in production (e.g. cereals, wine, fruit and vegetables, milk and beef).

The forthcoming reforms of the market organisations for wine and for fruit and vegetables must, in particular, be aimed at increasing European producers’ competitiveness and market position while respecting the specificities and financial needs of these important European sectors under the given resource constraints. The effects of EU enlargement must be taken into account.

Dairy producers must be allowed to adapt to long-term market developments. The Commission must make timely proposals for the future of European dairy market policy to ensure a stable income development for dairy producers.

Agricultural research and development must receive special attention

European farmers and their co-operatives welcome the European Commission’s approach towards research policy taken in the 7th research framework programme and request sufficient future funds for research. All agricultural co-operatives must also be able to participate in priority in research projects under this framework and benefit from its results. Greater importance must be attached to the dissemination and practical implementation of research findings.

Policy-makers must also establish a reliable framework for green biotechnology. Consumers and producers must continue to have freedom of choice over the long term. The co-existence of GMO, conventional and organic crops must be secured so as not to undermine in any way the market position of farmers and their cooperatives.

European agriculture must not be deprived of the opportunities offered by biotechnology and bioscience. This is particularly true for renewable raw materials. The production of renewable raw materials, which contribute significantly to securing the EU’s energy policy and to climate protection, must be fostered through coherent EU and national policies.

European farmers and their co-operatives are ready for the challenge

Les agriculteurs sont conscients qu’ils sont un maillon essentiel de la chaîne agroalimentaire. Ils continueront à fournir à l’avenir tous les efforts nécessaires pour améliorer la qualité de leurs produits, qu’il s’agisse de produits alimentaires ou de matières premières renouvelables, et pour rendre la production encore plus durable. Il est particulièrement important d’assurer et de soutenir la pleine transparence des méthodes de production et la traçabilité intégrale des produits. Ils continueront à s’organiser eux-mêmes par le biais de leurs coopératives pour accroître la valeur de leurs produits et de générer une plus grande valeur ajoutée.

Farmers are aware that they are a crucial link in the agri-food chain. They will continue to make every future effort to improve the quality of their products, be they food products or renewable raw materials, and to make production even more sustainable. It is especially important to ensure and support the full transparency of production procedures and full traceability of products. Farmers will continue to organise themselves through their co-operatives to improve the value of their products and generate higher value-added.

European farmers are determined to face up to the economic challenges and to do everything in their power to increase their competitiveness. They are entrepreneurs and the success of their farm businesses depends upon market developments, their education and skills and numerous policy decisions in different spheres. They will continue to improve the profitability of their enterprises.

European agriculture supports all measures to improve quality. Production standards, as far as they are tied to a rise in production costs, must, as a priority, be set internationally.

Source : COPA COGECA.

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COPA’s and COGECA’s partner organisations from the non EU countries Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey support the above-mentioned demands and concerns of COPA’s and COGECA’s 73 Member Organisations and their 5 Associated Members from Romania and Bulgaria. They adhere to the main thrust as far as the general message of this declaration is concerned and totally subscribe the global efforts towards sustainable development.