European Economic and Social Committee

Some have questioned why the EU has been awarded the Peace Prize just now, when people all over Europe are protesting against what they see as the EU's strict austerity requirements. In fact, it is at times like this that it is especially important for the EU and the leaders of the Member States to remind people how much potential this project has in guaranteeing social cohesion.

Last month was marked by the Rio+20 global summit on sustainable development. At the EESC we were committed to contributing to the EU’s position and to mobilising EU civil society in order to push EU and world leaders towards an ambitious Rio+20 outcome. An agreement has been reached and this is an achievement. It’s better than nothing! However I can’t help seeing the huge discrepancy between the aspirations, ambitions and commitments which were visible in the myriad Rio+20-related events and statements from civil society, communities and companies, and the actual wording of the outcome document which the heads of states and governments agreed on.

The "zero draft" summarising key issues forming the basis of the Rio+20 final agreement is a good starting point for subsequent negotiations. But it still falls far short of the hopes and ambitions of organised civil society in Europe for what could and should be achieved by the Rio process. We look to the Council, the Commission and the Parliament to be equally resolute in pressing the case for a stronger and more purposeful programme to be created at Rio, and to give our European negotiators a powerful mandate to settle for nothing less.

It has always been my belief that Europe is and should continue to be a driver and leader in sustainability reform at global level. It proved this once again in Durban several weeks ago when it put pressure on large CO2 emitters and succeeded in achieving clear progress in the international climate negotiations. Europe must remain a driving force in climate negotiations at global level. This is one of the reasons why I have made sustainability something of a mantra and a watchword for my presidency at the EESC. It is my deeply held conviction that we must meet our everyday needs with each and every policy without jeopardising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Once sustainability is mainstreamed into all policies, I hope that it will become second nature for us to be more responsible in how we take care of our planet's nature and resources.
After Durban, our next destination is the Earth summit Rio+20. Civil society has taken the road to Rio and the EESC's message is clear: Go Sustainable, be responsible!

Over the past few days, I had the opportunity to meet a number of leaders and economic and social players from Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries gathered together for the 26th meeting of ACP-EU economic and social interest groups. Under the Cotonou Agreement, the EESC is tasked with organising regular consultation with representatives of ACP economic and social players in order to strengthen ACP-EU relations. I believe that wherever and whenever possible, we can promote gradual political change. We need to support the African countries – provided this support is accompanied by economic, social and political reforms. We have to act in solidarity, and make a shift from aid to smarter development policies which include the involvement of civil society in the reform processes

On 23 May we tried to find answers to the above question. The title of the international conference: Food for everyone – towards a global deal, which we organised together with the European Commission, reflects our vision for global food security. Global players and politicians have, on so many occasions, discussed ways of banishing hunger and poverty, yet still one in six people on the planet struggles to find enough food to live on. What new inputs into global discussions emerged from the EESC conference? I would say focus and a reminder to the EU and international players that we need to stick to the commitment agreed in 2000 under the Millennium Development Goals to halve poverty and hunger by 2015. There are only about 1 300 days left!

"Nine billion people will inhabit the Earth by 2050. Each person will need water and food. Population increase, the demand for agricultural products from emerging economies and environmental changes, all intensified by food price volatility, energy demand and urbanisation are just a few of the challenges of global food security. These challenges are complex and the solutions must be equally varied and tailored. Exposed to food price volatility and extreme fluctuations in agricultural commodities, too many people in developing countries struggle to feed themselves and their families. "...

Thanks to EU-Brazil Civil Society Round Table, which ended just yesterday in Brasilia, I have acquired a deeper insight into this vibrant nation. Brazil is a country to which we Europeans could start paying more attention and from which we have much to learn. As an emerging economic power and given the proven impact of civil society input into the country’s social inclusion policies, I feel Brazil deserves more credit for its increased involvement in the global political agenda. We had the opportunity to meet Brazilian civil society and discuss topics related to food security, inevitably linking it to agricultural production and resource management, and the need to make it sustainable in social, economic and environmental terms.

Food security concerns us all, because it is about the earth's resources, which we all share and use, and because food is vital for life. That’s why we need to ensure that everybody in the world has enough food to eat or the resources and means to grow their own food. This is the case in the developing countries. We cannot accept that one in six people on our planet faces a daily struggle to find enough food to live.

This week, the European Commission made proposals to give the EU Member States a joint framework for action with regard to the Roma community. The topic of the Roma brings me to a broader issue.
Twenty years after the fall of the Iron Curtain and only a few years after the EU expanded to include 27 Member States, peace in the EU seems to the younger generation to be the norm. However, this peace is very young, historically speaking: it was not so very long ago that we were at war. The people who lived through that time must speak about it to today's youngsters. Because, judging by the media and certain political leaders – who unfortunately enjoy increasingly broad support – it would appear that we are living in a time of violence and hatred in Europe.