IFOAM | IFOAM EU PRESS RELEASES 2011

	IFOAM EU PRESS RELEASES 2011



	IFOAM EU PRESS RELEASES 2011 Backpedalling by Environment Council short sighted: Biodiversity objectives must be part of a reformed CAP Brussels 20/12/2011 – EU Environment Ministers yesterday adopted conclusions on the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020. The IFOAM EU Group condemns the compromise decision by the Ministers to remove calls in the Strategy for biodiversity objectives to be integrated into the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This has set a dangerous precedent as the EU attempts to raise the environmental performance of agriculture and steer European food and farming towards a more ecologically sustainable future. Full press release available here Smart change - towards a sustainable CAP Organic and high nature value farming shaping future food systems Copenhagen, Denmark 17-18 April 2012 The IFOAM EU Group, in cooperation with Organic Denmark, announces the 6th European Organic Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark, 17th-18th of April 2012. With 200 participants expected, including high-level speakers from the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European organic sector,the 6th European Organic Congress will take place at a crucial point in time for the debate on the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Click here for full press release Click here for more information No space for fraud in organic production: tighter controls are bearing fruit Brussels, 08/12/2011 – The Italian police arrested seven people, including executives from three agro-business companies accused of having committed fraud by intentionally selling conventional products as organic, with 2,500 tons of products confiscated. The IFOAM EU Group condemns this fraudulent and criminal activity and welcomes the conclusion of the two-year police investigation, conducted with the cooperation of the organic sector in Italy, which has brought to justice the individuals who have deliberately deceived the public and criminally manipulated the rigorous checks and controls that are in place in the organic inspection and certification system. Full press release available here Transparency and strict rules for GMOs needed Commission reports on GMO policy must be followed by overdue action Brussels 28/10/2011– The reports published today evaluating the European GMO legislation, must be followed by real action: The European Commission must finally propose legislation change that solves the pressing issues caused by GMO cultivation and GMOs entering the food chains Click here for full Press Release GMO industry must prevent contamination and pay for damages they cause Socio-economic impacts of GMOs are yet insufficiently appraised in EU Brussels, 18/10/2011– The IFOAM EU Group urges the European Commission to take its conference today on the socio-economic dimensions of GMO cultivation as a starting point for serious efforts to solve the pressing issues caused by GMO cultivation and to include the socio-economic impacts on the non GM food chain in further considerations. Currently, the organic sector already faces heavy economic costs to keep its production free of GM contamination through different prevention measures, quality management and product recalls. Click here for full Press Release Climate change: A global approach to harmonising productivity with sustainability in farming is needed Brussels, 18 October 2011 – The public seminar “Agriculture in times of climate change - Organic farming approaches to face the challenge”, organised by the IFOAM EU Group, Bio Austria and MEP Elisabeth Köstinger brought together international experts and stakeholders from across the organic movement to address the role of the food and farming sector in adapting and mitigating the effects of climate change and the potential of organic farming in providing solutions to these challenges. Click here for full Press Release EU consumption patterns a threat to stable food prices and resource efficiency Message of World Food Day 2011 gives us an opportunity to reflect on our consumption patterns and resource efficiency Brussels, 17/10/2011 – As the world commemorated World Food Day, the IFOAM EU Group1 reiterates that this year’s theme of “Food prices – from crisis to stability”, which may give people the impression that the focus is on so-called developing countries, is as much of relevance to Europe as the rest of the world. Click here for full Press Release CAP reform - proposals lack ambition to mainstream sustainability Organic farmers and civil society must now stay on the ball to ensure the CAP meets future challenges Brussels, 12 October 2011 – The European Commission has unveiled its proposals for the Common Agricultural Policy 2014-2020. Providing a slightly altered framework, the text continues to lack ambition where substantial commitments are needed to shape future farming to ensure the delivery of tasty food and a clean environment. Click here for full Press Release 6th EAP final assessment – what’s next? Brussels, 10/10/2011 – With the Environment Council meeting yesterday to assess the 6th Environmental Action Programme, due to expire 2012, Europe is left to wonder whether a new EAP will come out that will have the teeth to address impending environmental challenges such as resource use, climate change and biodiversity. Click here for full Press Release Brussels, 06/10/2011 – The IFOAM EU Group, Bio Austria and MEP Elisabeth Köstinger are pleased to announce the inclusion of Peter Kuikman as a guest speaker at its public seminar on Organic Agriculture and Climate Change which takes place in the European Parliament on the 18 October 2011. Dr. Kuikman will deliver the keynote speech on the need and potential for agriculture to contribute to the management of greenhouse gas emissions. Click here for full Press Release IFOAM EU introduces guidelines for pesticide residue contaminations Brussels 05/10/2011 - The IFOAM EU Group has published the first edition of the “Guideline for Pesticide Residue Contaminations for International Trade in Organic”. The guideline is intended to provide support and information for organic trading and processing companies on how to deal with this difficult topic. Click here for Press Release Click here for full Guideline document “Europe must rediscover its legumes” Brussels, 04/10/2011 – The EU’s dependence on foreign soy will be one of the topics in the spotlight at IFOAM EU’s1 conference “Resource Efficiency and Food Security: Opportunities and challenges for sustainable food systems” on 09th November in the Committee of the Regions building. By means of a two-pronged approach, the EU’s dependence on feed imports will be investigated from both the perspective of the EU, and of that of the exporting countries. Click here for Press Release What’s down below must finally be put high on the agenda: IFOAM EU Group launches position paper on soil Granada, 23/09/2011 – Criticising the ongoing deadlock in the European Council on the implementation of a Soil Directive, the IFOAM EU Group published its position paper on the proposed EU Soil Framework Directive at a three-day conference held in Granada, Spain, titled “Agro-ecological management of soils”. The conference organised by SEAE, bringing together experts and academics in the area of soil, reinforced the need for a coherent policy and explored several aspects and threats related to soil, along with the value of agro-ecological measures for maintaining and rehabilitating soil. Click here for full Press Release Click here for Position Paper Environmental NGOs & farmers condemn Commission plans to 'greenwash' the CAP Brussels 12/09/2011 - Environmental NGOs (including IFOAM EU Group, WWF, EEB and Birdlife Europe) and farmers condemned plans to greenwash the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as revealed in a leaked Commission document. The green groups say that unless the proposals are overhauled to provide real environmental commitments, the policy will remain devoid of any legitimacy. NGOs believe that while the Commission proposal superficially commits to greening the CAP and to rewarding farmers that deliver public goods, a close analysis shows that most of the commitments are fake, empty or seriously underwhelming. Full Press Release Available Here Commission and Council must now step forward in playing their part to strengthen the right for GMO free food Brussels, 05/07/2011 – The European Parliament has adopted today its opinion on the possibility for Member States to restrict or prohibit the cultivation of GMOs in their territory. The IFOAM EU Group welcomes MEPs’ support for a change of EU legislation that would finally oblige all member states to take appropriate measures to avoid the unintended presence of GMOs in other products and to establish liability systems that would ensure that the polluter has to pay in case of GMO contamination. Full Press Release Available Here EU finances 2014-2020 – Food and Farm related funds:EU must prioritise sustainability, not stagnation Brussels, 30/06/2011 – The European Commission has unveiled its proposal for the financial framework of the programming period 2014-2020. The IFOAM EU Group sees a lack of ambition to clearly set the priorities on the further development of sustainable food systems in farm policy and calls on Council and Parliament to dedicate an increased share of the CAP budget to rural development measures to meet the importance of European wide policies for the European society by reversing the de facto overall budget cuts and to use the given framework to mainstream sustainability. Full Press Release Available Here MEPs call for strong 2nd Pillar - but remain vague on sustainability Brussels, 23/06/2011 – The European Parliament has today adopted a resolution on the Common Agricultural Policy 2020-2014, the so called “Deß report”, named after the draftsman Albert Deß. The IFOAM EU Group welcomes the fact that the European Parliament made a clear statement for adequate funding of the 2nd Pillar in the next financial planning period. Full Press Release Available Here Publication of factsheets on the CAP by NGO coalition Brussels - 23 /06/2011: IFOAM EU Group with other NGOs published 13 factsheets "The Truth behind the CAP: 13 reasons for green reform" about the CAP and: wildlife, climate change, functional biodiversity, food consumption, genetic resources, organic agriculture, grassland, HVN, pesticides, agriuclture glbal impact, soil, water quality and water scarcity. Each factsheet gives figures and facts and practicles exemples through case studies. Press here to download the factsheets Strenghtened 2nd pillar urgently needed in financial EU framework 2014 - 2020 Brussels, 22/06/2011- The IFOAM EU Group calls for a strenghtened financial basis for the second pillar under the financial framework 2014-2020 in a letter sent to Commission President José Manuel Barroso today as it considers rural development measures being of the upmost importance for the environment and rural society. The letter to the Commission is Available Here Full Press Release Available Here Bio-Economy must build on sustainable and participative food chains Brussels – 22/06/2011: The Conference “Sustainable food chains for a European Strategy and Action plan towards a sustainable knowledge-based bio-economy by 2020” was held in the European Parliament today. The event brought together more then 100 participants who discussed the upcoming challenges for research and innovation towards a sustainable bio-economy with representatives from the European Commission, the European Parliament, the research community, consumers, farm workers, regions and environmental organisations. Full Press Release Available Here NGOs released open letter to MEPs calling for an ambitious, fair and green Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform. Brussels 21/06/2011 - IFOAM EU Group co-signed an open letter addressed to MEPs regarding the Plenary vote on the Dess report on the 23rd of June. The letter is available here 2nd ARC Conference: 'Consultation of Civil Society on the Future of the CAP- One Year on - Was Our Voice Heard?' Brussels 21/06/2011 - The IFOAM EU Group, as member of the ARC2020, invite you to join the conference on the 13th of July at the European Parliament to discuss the outcomes of the consultation on the CAP, which happened one year ago. Was our voice heard? Registration and information: here IFOAM EU Group Accepting Applications for Trainees to start in September 2011 for 6 months Brussels 18/06/2011 - The IFOAM EU Group is looking for several trainees starting from September 2011 to February 2012 (for at least 6 months) Take your chance for an interesting and qualifying experiencein the political scene in Brussels! Click here for further information E.coli: IFOAM EU welcomes EU support but asks for EU wide coordination Brussels, 07/06/2011 – On the occasion of the extraordinary meeting of the Agriculture Council the IFOAM EU Group expresses its concern that weeks after the first outbreak of a new strain of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) a definite source has still not been identified. On the other hand the Group welcomes the fact that EU ministers have agreed in principle to compensate vegetable producers that have suffered serious losses as a consequence of the outbreak. It urges for a better, EU wide, coordination of the issue. Full Press Release Available Here Previous Press Release Available Here Statement: IFOAM EU Group on E. coli outbreak Budapest, 03/06/2011 – The IFOAM EU Group underlines that in the current situation of emergency neither speculations, nor accusations, nor giving the all clear are appropriate reactions. The causes of the present outbreak of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) that continues to have devastating effects in Germany and other European countries are still unclear. The IFOAM EU Group emphasises that the initial reports implicating organic products as responsible for the outbreak are unfounded. These facts have to be clearly communicated to the public, so that further damage to the food and farming sector that was wrongly blamed can be at least reduced. Full Press Release Available Here Sustainable livestock systems must be a core point in CAP reform IFOAM EU Group calls for sustainable livestock production on the occasion of the Informal Council meeting in Debrecen Debrecen, Hungary, 30/05/2011 – EU Farm Ministers exchanged views on how the CAP should contribute to a sustainable livestock sector at their informal council meeting at Debrecen, East Hungary. A delegation from the IFOAM EU Group was privileged to be invited as an observer at the meeting. The group highlights the critical un-sustainability of current livestock production system that are heavily dependent on livestock feed imported from all around the world. In contrast organic systems place a focus on grass and clover based systems and other livestock feed produced on the farm and linked holdings. Full Press Release Available Here Resource efficient food system model on Green Week Brussels, 23/05/2011 – As natural resources become scarce, production methods and consumption patterns have to adapt. The efficient use of resources is crucial for future farming. Organic farming can provide many assets regarding resource efficiency, as it works in accordance with ecological principles. The recent report of the UN special rapporteur on the right to food underlines the role of agro-ecological approaches for food security in a resource constraint world. Full Press Release Available Here EU Biodiversity Strategy Needs Ambitious Implementation Brussels, 04/05/2011 – The European Commission published its biodiversity strategy yesterday outlining EU policies to halt the loss of biodiversity. The IFOAM EU Group2 believes that the EU must establish an effective legal and financial framework if the targets proposed in the strategy are to be met, especially in relation to the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Full Press Release Available Here Externalisation of GMO Costs Must End! Commission report on socio-economic impacts of GMO cultivation is a compilation of missed opportunities Brussels, 15/04/2011 - The EU Commission published today a report on socio-economic implications of GMO cultivation. The IFOAM EU Group expressed its disappointment that the EU missed a chance for a serious assessment of socio-economic impacts on the whole food chain. Full Press Release Available Here IFOAM EU Group President Christopher Stopes elected as Chair of the Commissions advisory group on Organic Farming Brussels, 12/04/2011 - IFOAM EU President, Christopher Stopes has been elected as the Chair of the advisory group on organic farming of the European Commission. It is the second time since 2005 that the IFOAM EU Group has provided the Chair for the official advisory group of the European Commission. Full Press Release Available Here Environment Ministers discuss climate and water challenge on informal Council meeting Gödöllő, Hungary, 25/03/2011 – EU Environment Ministers exchanged views on EU water stocks, climate change and the Roadmap to a low-carbon economy in Europe by 2050 at their informal council meeting. Full Press Release Available Here