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News archive 2012 |
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IFOAM EU July Newsletter
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IFOAM EU Group Press Release:
European citizens must stand up for diversity on our plates!
Brussels, July 12 2012 - Today, the European Court of Justice published its judgement concerning the use of rare variety seeds and declared that the EU's seed marketing laws are valid and appropriate. 'This judgement is no good news for all those who want a wide diversity of colourful and tasty tomatoes and peppers on their plates', commented Dorota Metera, Vice President of the IFOAM EU Group.
Read the full Press Release here.
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Brussels, July 6 2012 - IFOAM EU Group presents its concerns to the Commission working document for amendments to Regulation (EC) No 889/2008, with special regards on the Annexes I, II, XII and Article 21. This position is expressed in a letter that the IFOAM EU Group has sent to Mr Joao Onofre, Head of the Organic Farming Unit in DG Agriculture.Read the full letter here.
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Brussels, July 5 2012 - IFOAM EU Group proposes to introduce into the regulation (EC) No 834/2007 further requirements for the environmental performance of operations involved in organic processing and trade. This measure allows operators to create credibility in a harmonized way and to live up to the organic self-conception of being a holistic approach capable of offering solutions for society's future challenges. This position is expressed in a letter that the IFOAM EU Group has sent to Mr Joao Onofre, Head of the Organic Farming Unit in DG Agriculture.Read the full letter here.
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IFOAM EU Group Press Release:
IFOAM EU welcomes the Commission's new head of unit for organic farming and bids farewell and thanks to his predecessor
Brussels, July 2 2012 - The IFOAM EU Group would like to welcome the new head of unit for organic farming in the European Commission, DG Agriculture, Mr Joao Onofre, who began in his new post on the 1 July. It also wishes to bid farewell and offers its thanks to his predecessor, Jean Francois Hulot for his five years of dedicated work for organic farming within the European Commission.
Read the full Press Release here.
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IFOAM EU JUNE NEWSLETTER
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IFOAM EU Group Press Release:
European Parliament must raise level of ambition to increase sustainability across EU farming
Brussels, 19 June 2012- Today the European Parliament's Agriculture and Rural Development Committee Rapporteur Luis Manuel Capoulas Santos MEP under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2014-2020.
Read more in the IFOAM EU Press Release
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New organic feed rules published
On 15th June 2012, the new implementing regulation on organic feed Regulation (EU) No 505/2012 has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union. This regulation specifically defines exceptional rules, which gives the market more time to develop the supply for organic protein crops.
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IFOAM EU Group Press Release:
EU leaders need to put environmental leadership into effect
Council Conclusions on 7th EAP must be followed by ambitious implementation
''We welcome that Environmental Ministers are committed to a 7th Environmental Action Programme (EAP), as the EAP can serve as driving force for European Environmental Policy'', said Marko Schluter, Director of the IFOAM EU Group. ''However in order to make EU environmental leadership happen, and to ensure we meet our international obligations including our commitments in the Rio+20 process this decision must be followed by concrete action.
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IFOAM EU May Newsletter
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IFOAM EU short film:
Organic Farming and the Reform of the CAP
IFOAM EU Group Joint NGO Press Release:
Crop rotation and increase legume cultivation are essential for future farming
Experts outline that sustainable cropping systems can deliver multiple benefits for farmers and society.
Brussels, 30 May 2012- Friends of the Earth Europe, the IFOAM EU Group and the Pesticide Action Network Europe organised a conference on ''Crop Rotation and Legume Production: Cultivating a More Sustainable and Resource Efficient Farming Policy'' in the European parliament on the 29 May 2012, in cooperation with S&D MEP Karin Kadenbach and Green MEP Martin Hausling.
Read more in the IFOAM EU Press Release
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Good Food, Good Farming - Let’s March to Brussels! Brussels, 30/05/2012 - IFOAM EU in partnership with other farming groups and civil society organisations today launches a call for farmers, citizens and young people across Europe to take part in the “Good Food March” to Brussels to demand a Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) that responds to the needs of all farmers and society.
Further information can be found here
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Seed diversity decline must urgently be stopped
Civil Society urges EU law-makers to come up with an environment, farmer and consumer friendly review of the legislation on the marketing of Seed and Propagating Material (S&PM)
Brussels, 24/05/2012 - A broad coalition of over 240 civil society organizations and enterprises from 40 countries from the EU, the EFTA, candidate countries and from 6 continents urged European leaders to reverse the disastrous decline in biodiversity in Europe.
Read more..
FR version
DE version
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IFOAM EU respond on the Commission approches towards amendments of Annexes I, II and XII of Regulation (EC) No 889/2008
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Commission report to the Council opens a debate among stakeholders on the further development of EU
Organic Regulations
The IFOAM EU Group acknowledges the need for a detailed analysis of potential challenges and support a focused improvement of the organic regulation where and if necessary. It needs to be highlighted that this debate may be concluded with specific legal proposals to amend Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 at the end of 2013.
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Organic farming must be at the heart of CAP reform
- Two day European Organic Congress began today in Denmark with about 200 participants
- High level speakers underline the role of organic farming in the CAP reform
- IFOAM EU Group launches dossier to evaluate organic regulations
- Denmark presents plan to reach 60% organic food in public canteens
Copenhagen, 17 April 2012 - The 6th European Organic Congress "Smart change - towards a sustainable CAP" started this morning with a high level policy panel discussing the CAP reform and the launch of a new dossier to evaluate the EU organic regulations.
The Deputy Director General of DG Agriculture and Rural Development, Jerzy Bogdan Plewa, described the Commission proposals for the CAP 2014-2020, a “greener” and more sustainable agriculture policy. He stated that support for organic farming remains an essential ingredient in the policy recipe for sustainable food production.
Christopher Stopes, IFOAM EU Group President, on the occasion of the launch of the 3rd IFOAM EU Group regulation dossier European Organic Regulations - An evaluation of the first three years - Looking for further development." (see below for further information)
Click here for full press release
Follow the 6th European Organic Congress Online at
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ifoam-eu-group
Launch of the IFOAM EU Group Regulation Dossier
***IFOAM EU March Newsletter Now Available
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IFOAM EU Group Joint NGO Press Release:
The EU Commission’s health and consumers department caves in to farmers and industry lobby request to allow the spread of highly dangerous pest
On explicit request of the dominant farmers unions and the pesticide industry, the department taking care of health and consumers issues within the European Commission (DG SANCO) has proposed to dismantle the European safety system by removing the obligation on countries and farmers to contain the spread of a highly destructive maize pest ‐ Diabrotica virgifera virgifera Le Conte (the Western corn rootworm – from now on cited as WCR). This move is likely to lead to a massive increase in pesticide use unless the simple agronomic practice of crop rotation is implemented as a countermeasure. Click here for full press release
***Council opposed biased proposal,
but failed to reach improvements
for GMO free food & farming
Organic movement demands EU wide moratorium for GMO cultivation
Brussels – 09/03/12 - The Council of Environment ministers today missed the chance to make a big step forwards for GMO free food and farming. Ministers were to adopt their opinion on the proposal of the European Parliament of last year to allow member states to restrict the cultivation of GMO on a reasonable list of grounds, adding a clause to the directive on deliberate release of GMOs that would additionally have obliged all member states to take up measures to prevent the presence of GMO traces in GMO-free food and farming.
Click here for full press release
EIP must recognise the innovative potential of organic farming
European Innovation Partnerships should address food systems in a comprehensive way
Brussels, 29/02/2012 – The IFOAM EU Group welcomes the Communication on European Innovation Partnership (EIP) for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability published by the European Commission today. This new measure opens the potential for knowledge transfer between farmers, researchers and other stakeholders, which is often lacking in European agriculture. Now it is crucial that truly sustainable, comprehensive approaches towards innovation are targeted within the EIP.
State of soils requires policy action to ensure future food security
- Commission soil strategy report highlights necessity of a European framework for soil protection
- CAP reform and resurrection of soil directive of utmost importance for future of soils
Brussels, 13/02/2012 – The IFOAM EU Group sees clear evidence in the Commission’s 'Implementation of the Soil Thematic Strategy', published today, that policy action on soil is extremely urgent. Soil erosion by water is estimated to affect 1.3 million km2 in Europe, an area equivalent to 2.5 times the size of France.
“Healthy soils are fundamental to food and water security. Today’s ‘progress report' is a depressing catalogue of continued destruction rather than showing progress; it is a solemn reminder that the EU is failing to ensure soil protection,” says Christopher Stopes, President of the IFOAM EU Group. “Due to a deadlock in the Council on the establishment of an EU Soil Directive, this opportunity for coordinated action on soils has not been exploited since it was initially proposed in 2006. It is high time that member states take responsibility for the future of our soils and resurrect the Soil Directive!” Click here for full press release***
IFOAM EU welcomes approval of EU organic wine rules
Brussels, February 8, 2012 – The IFOAM EU Group welcomes today´s approval of implementing rules on organic wine production by the Standing Committee on Organic Farming (SCOF) and appreciates that its compromise proposal for reduction of sulphites was taken up as a basis. This conclusion is the result of a long decision making process dating back to 2009, and guarantees that in the future organic wines can be clearly distinguished from non-organic wines in Europe.
You can find EU Commission documents below:
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IFOAM EU Group kindly invites you to its seminar on rules for organic wine at BioFach
The future of food and farming needs a broad societal consensus
With the economic crisis continuing its devastating impact on the European economies, it becomes increasingly apparent that public funding must present a clearer focus to deliver societal needs and expectations. For the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) this means that it must lead the way to a more efficient and effective use of natural resources, making our food system resilient to climate change, protecting biodiversity and creating employment in rural areas. Funding and resources must be allocated appropriately.
Click here for full press release
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IFOAM EU seminars at BioFach 2012
This year IFOAM EU Group will again be organising several workshops and seminar sessions during the BioFach 2012, 15-18 February 2012, in Nuremburg, Germany - with topics ranging from the EU regulation for organic food and farming, to GMO policies and climate, aquaculture, CAP, the research platform TP Organics and organic processing.
The overview of all IFOAM EU events at BioFach can be found on our BioFach webpage.
You are welcome to meet a delegation of the IFOAM EU office team at the IFOAM stand. Please visit the IFOAM EU webpage for more information regarding workshops and seminars.
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50 years of the European Agricultural Policy: Time for change say civil society groups
Brussels, 23/01/2012 – The European Commission launches its 50th anniversary of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) campaign today. However with farmers and biodiversity disappearing, hunger and social inequalities increasing and food safety compromised, civil society groups, including IFOAM EU Group, are calling on the European Institutions to use the ongoing CAP reform to undertake a radical overhaul to make it “fit for the next 50”.
Click here for full press release
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Early bird registration now available!
The 6th European Organic Congress in Denmark is taking place at a crucial point in time for the debate on the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The Congress “Smart change - towards a sustainable CAP” addresses the policy change needed to reach a greener, smarter, fairer future CAP, improve the availability of sustainably produced food for consumers and to ensure the credibility of certification for sustainable farm systems...
Click here for full press release
***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
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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 more information
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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
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We’ve had enough!(Wir haben es satt!) - Farms instead of agribusiness Protest in Berlin
Sat, 01/21/2012
11:30, Berlin |
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Industrial agriculture has led to dioxin scandals, genetic engineering in food and animal suffering in mega stables. It exacerbates hunger crises, climate change and is causing farms to die out, leaving cleared land and monoculture.
Each year the EU and the German government support this industry with billions of Euros in subsidies. With the key decisions for agricultural policy in 2020 currently being made, the chance to change current practice has never been so great. So far however the federal government has blocked real reform.
Click here for more information
Resource Efficiency Conference photos now available
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