BirdLife International The weak CAP Health Check proposal ignores climate change and biodiversity. Zoom In

Much ado about nothing? CAP Health Check proposal ignores climate change and biodiversity

20-05-2008

BirdLife International is deeply disappointed that the European Commission’s proposal for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Health Check – released today – fails to respond to the pressing environmental challenges facing Europe, including climate change, biodiversity loss and growing water shortages. BirdLife had hoped that the Health Check would be seized as an opportunity to address Europe’s environmental challenges, and to ensure that EU taxpayer’s money delivers public goods rather than being wasted on untargeted and often perverse subsidies.

While the Commission's Green Paper made ambitious promises to address ‘new challenges’ facing the environment, the actual proposal does not provide clear or robust parameters for action - taking a ‘business-as-usual’ approach to CAP reform.

"The EU wants to be a global frontrunner in tackling the dramatic environmental problems of our time... How should we convince Brazil to protect its rainforest, if we are continuing to degrade our own rural ecosystems?" —Dr Clairie Papazoglou, Regional Director, BirdLife European Division

Reacting to the proposal, Dr Clairie Papazoglou, Regional Director of the BirdLife European Division, said: “The Commission has wasted the opportunity to offer Europe a better CAP. The EU wants to be a global frontrunner in tackling the dramatic environmental problems of our time, but with this proposal it risks losing its credibility. How should we convince Brazil to protect its rainforest, if we are continuing to degrade our own rural ecosystems?”

Ariel Brunner, EU Agriculture Policy Officer of BirdLife, said: “This proposal ignores the plight of biodiversity and the gathering water crisis. It offers little more than a cosmetic facelift. Member States must radically improve on it by ensuring a real and substantial transfer of funds toward targeted environmental measures. They must adopt measures to contrast the environmental damage from the abolition of set aside and ensure effective protection of watersheds, landscape elements and permanent pastures.”

BirdLife highlighted again the need for real reform. The EU’s environmental problems cannot wait until 2013 to be addressed while the CAP is in desperate need of public support as it is being called into question in the ongoing EU budget review. The issue is now in the hands of the EU Member States’ Farm Ministers who will have to show whether their main concern is the collective interest of EU citizens, or the vested interest of the small fraction of intensive farmers currently scooping up most EU subsidies.

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