There had not been any debate on the CAP's objectives for more than fifty years and the signature of the Treaty of Rome, deplored Copa President Jean-Michel Lemétayer. Speaking at the European farmers' congress in Brussels on 30 September, he said the policy had been reformed several times "without the heads of state and government ever really standing up for European food security or quality".
But in fifty years a lot of things had changed, he said, referring to the enlargement of the EU from an initial six member states to the current 27, bringing with it increased territorial diversity.
Thus ahead of next year's talks on the future of the CAP after 2013, European farming organisations adopted a declaration outlining their vision of the future of EU agricultural policy.
Though some may be tempted by the renationalisation of agriculture in the current context of rising food prices, in "no way" could this be a serious option, said Lemétayer, who instead called for:
- Policymakers to be convinced of the need to have a strong Common Agricultural Policy for the EU;
- reflection on the importance of the "rules of the game" and the sector's regulation mechanisms;
- guarantees that trade in agriculture and agricultural products would continue to be governed by rules, and;
- the introduction of plant health requirements for the CAP to guarantee the quality of goods.
As for the new risks and challenges for which the future CAP must be prepared, Lemétayer identified:
- Health and sanitary risks;
- clilmate change challenges;
- market challenges, and;
- new challenges of which we are not yet aware (such as the new viral blue tongue disease that has swept across Europe, damaging livestock in several countries).
