Activites

• 2009/11/26 Results of vote in Parliament
  • Results of vote in Parliament
  • T7-0102/2009 summary

    Following the debate which took place during the sitting of 25 November 2009 the European Parliament adopted by 541 votes to 28 with 17 abstentions a resolution on the FAO Summit and food security. The resolution had been tabled by the EPP, S&D, ALDE, ECR and Greens/ALE groups. It stresses that the number of people suffering from hunger now exceeds 1 billion and that this is an unacceptable blight on the lives of one-sixth of the world's population. Parliament calls for a world free from hunger and points out that a genuine fight against hunger requires the establishment of comprehensive policies which enhance sustainable farming and food production systems, so as to improve developing countries' capacity to feed their people. It notes that to feed a world population expected to surpass 9 billion in 2050, agricultural output will have to increase by 70 % between now and then.Parliament calls on countries to implement the FAO 'Voluntary guidelines for the progressive realisation of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security'. It welcomes the undertakings given in principle at the Rome Summit, but expresses disappointment at the lack of specific financial pledges and the poor attendance by G8 high-level representatives. All Member States are asked to redouble their commitment to achieving MDG 1 (to halve hunger by 2015) and endorse a global goal to eradicate hunger and malnutrition by 2025.  Members stress the importance of the common agricultural policy (CAP) which has provided EU citizens with a secure food supply since its inception in 1962, in addition to protecting and enhancing the rural environment and EU food production standards which are the highest in the world. They point out that the price volatility of recent years - both the highs and the lows - has made guaranteeing food security a particularly elusive goal. Parliament stresses that if farmers do not receive a fair price for their produce they will cease production. EU farms produce between 17 % and 30 % of the world's wheat, milk and beef, and maintaining viable farms in the EU will be of paramount importance for food supplies in the EU and throughout the world in the years to come. Parliament believes that the CAP should remain the cornerstone of EU food security policy and that it should be further adapted to meet food security concerns in Europe and at world level. It cautions against the dismantling of market-support measures and cuts in farm-support payments in the light of the extreme volatility of commodity prices and, hence, farm incomes. Besides securing the EU's food production, the CAP can contribute to meeting the increased demand for food globally without distorting the market. Parliament goes on to consider that the financing facility for rapid response to soaring food prices in developing countries is a necessary first step towards meeting the immediate needs of those most affected by the food crisis. Members take the view that the Commission should audit how the money is spent, and that it should submit regular reports to Parliament.In addition, Parliament calls on the Commission and Member States, as appropriate:to include equitable financial mechanisms and concepts of burden-sharing in the context of climate adaptation in the forthcoming negotiations in Copenhagen, paying special attention to support for climate-friendly agricultural practices as a coherent means of fighting hunger;to take coordinated measures to halt any further loss of soil fertility and biodiversity, two essential components of food production systems, to increase overall efficiency and reduce waste in global food chains, and to improve local market access;to analyse the effects of the financial crisis on the agricultural sector and to consider proposals to ensure the stability of the sector, also in terms of access to loans and credit guarantees; to strengthen its existing programmes designed to ensure food security in Europe and the world;to increase funding for the Food Security Thematic Programme (2007-2010), currently endowed with a budget of EUR 925 million for the entire programming period, to be increased; to conduct a full impact assessment of the EU's policies and programmes in the areas of agriculture, development and trade in order to guarantee a coherent, sustainable policy approach to global food security;together with the FAO, to work towards common rules and legislative proposals which recognise the right of local people in every country to control farmland and other natural resources vital to their food security. Members consider that one serious obstacle to increased agricultural output in developing countries is the lack of access for small farmers to loans and micro-credits for investment in seeds, fertilisers and irrigation mechanisms, with loan guarantees, which, in most cases, are not available. The European Investment Bank is asked to look into ways of providing programmes to assist food producers in developing countries with loan guarantees to support access to credit and micro-credit. Parliament also emphasises the importance of the following:ongoing research into sustainable agriculture production systems, stressing the role of publicly-funded research programmes, of the EU technology platform for ecological agricultural research and of the Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development; programmes for technology transfer to developing countries to be implemented where appropriate; Lastly, Parliament resolves to establish a high-level standing working group on the EU's contribution to achieving global food security, in order to draw up common approaches to the major challenges the Commission has identified for sustainable agriculture, fisheries and rural development.

• 2009/11/25 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament summary

    The House held a debate, following on the Commission statement, on the FAO World Summit on Food Security - Eradication of hunger in the world.A motion for a resolution closing this debate was due to be put to the vote on 26 November 2009.

Documents

• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T7-0102/2009

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)