Message from Dilyana Slavova, President of NAT Section (2013-2015)

Dilyana Slavova, President of NAT Section (2013-2015)


Challenges and Priorities
for the EESC Consultative Works
in the Fields of Agriculture, rural Development and Environment (June 2013)

 

Transcript translated in EN:

Dilyana Slavova, President of the NAT section 2013-2015

Challenges and priorities for the EESC consultative Works in the fiels of agriculture, rural development and environment. June 2013.

For the next two and half years, I will lead with responsability enthusiasm and a sense of balance the consultative works of the European Economic and Social Committee in the fields of agriculture, food, rural development and environment. Europe is faced with major challenges.
The European Union is trying to move out of an unprecedented economic crisis and find solutions for unemployment, which is on the rise, as well as poverty.
The pace of climate change is accelerating and impact is becoming more visible
All these challenges affect agriculture and food security.
We believe that in agriculture and rural development resides a great potential for overcoming the crisis,
Agriculture is one of the solutions to the problems we face in the EU.
It can provide solutions to rural unemployment, depopulation of rural regions, less favoured areas and mountain farming.
Without farming, there would be a little left to keep many communities alive and hold them together, and this holds true for most regions in the EU.
We should keep in mind that farmland and forests account for more than 90% of land-use and the agricultural sector employs around 40 milion people in rural Europe.
About half the population of the EU lives in rural areas.
Over the next few years, we need to make sure that environment aspects are appropriately mainstreamed in other EU policy fields.
We will continue to push for sustainability as the motor for growth and well-being, and not as an impediment.
We will be doing this by integrating sustainability solutions in most of our policy recommendations and by highlighting good practices in the field of agriculture, food, environment, research, technology and innovation.
Another important aspect of our activities will be aimed at overcoming the unsustainable stage of food waste.
It is not acceptable to throw away 40% of the food we produce and have sheer poverty and starvation in some parts of the world and even in the EU.
These challenges are real; they are coming from the ground, from the people and associations I am in touch with every day.
Let us think sustainable at EU level, and act responsibly at local level!