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The NAT section of the EESC is currently working on a number of opinions.
Find out more about our:
ongoing work | upcoming work
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Meet our members | Stoyan TCHOUKANOV Finding the right balance between farmers' interests and an environmentally conscious future
"I have learned that some of the problems farmers are encountering stem from misunderstanding EU climate and environmental goals" says Stoyan TCHOUKANOV, member of the NAT section bureau. "I want to bring the reality of local farmers to the broader society and integrate them into the various fields of the environmental world. It is important to find the right balance between farmers' interests and an environmentally conscious future, between profitable agriculture and the preservation of nature. Nothing is easy, of course. If it were, the solution would have already been found!" Read more
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NAT Section debate | Food price crisis: the role of speculation and concrete proposals for action
On 30 June, the NAT Section held a debate on the effect of speculation on the global food price crisis. Olivier De Schutter, UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and co-chair of IPES Food explained the role of export bans, commodity speculation and financial markets in the ongoing price spikes (see IPES Food Report "Another perfect storm"). Want to contribute to the discussion? Send us your contribution to the upcoming own-initiative opinion on this topic.
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Czech Presidency | Key priorities
At a first series of European Parliament hearings held from 11 to 13 July, Czech Minister of Agriculture Zdeněk Nekula said that the impact of Russian aggression against Ukraine on food security is a key priority of the Czech presidency and that they will seek an early start for the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to provide member states with flexibility and temporary exceptions to handle the crisis. The Czech Presidency will also focus on fishing quotas, reaching agreements on EU fishing possibilities with third countries, as well as fisheries-relevant initiatives related to the Green Deal. Read more - Visit the EESC webpage dedicated to the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU.
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European Parliament | Briefing: Russia's war on Ukraine and food security
Russia’s war on Ukraine has sent global food prices soaring, fuelled inflation in the EU, the US and many other countries, while threatening hunger in some poorer regions. Russia and Ukraine export about 30 per cent of the world’s wheat and 75 per cent of its sunflower oil. According to FAO, food prices in May were up by nearly 30 per cent from a year earlier. A briefing note by the European Parliament gathers links to the recent publications and commentaries from international think tanks on the impact of the war on global and European food markets. Read more
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BertelsmannStiftung | Ukraine's Role in Global Food Supply
Over the past two decades, Ukraine had become a global supplier of primary agriculture and food commodities, such as cereals and sunflower-seed oil. Logistics are now heavily disrupted, with exports of grain and other agricultural commodities considerably reduced. This analysis is part of the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s project Sovereign Europe: Strategic Management of Global Interdependence and seeks to raise geopolitical awareness in the EU of the challenges presented by critical economic interdependencies while reviewing policies and instruments that could contribute to its open strategic autonomy. Read more
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OUR FEATURED NEWS
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EESC met the European Commission on the future Framework for Sustainable Food Systems
On 29 June, the European Commission hosted a workshop to discuss with EESC members the preparation of the Framework for Sustainable Food Systems, which is part of the Farm to Fork Strategy. As the first EU institution calling for a comprehensive EU food policy, the EESC has already developed over the years several concrete proposals that can feed into the Framework. Here is a compendium of our opinions and key messages on sustainable food systems.
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Plenary debate | Boosting Circular Economy in the EU
During its plenary session of 14 July 2022, the EESC held a debate on Boosting Circular Economy in the EU in connection with the interrelated opinions on the Sustainable products initiative, the Textile strategy and on Empowering the consumer for the green transition. The section presidents of NAT, CCMI and INT highlighted the importance of the circular economy to fight global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss and fostering sustainable development while generating new jobs. Members discussed how the Sustainable Products Initiative Package should ensure that sustainable products become the norm in the EU, circular business models are promoted and consumers empowered for the green transition.
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Youth Climate and Sustainability Round Tables
The Youth Climate and Sustainability Round Tables are a space for regular, structured and meaningful dialogue between youth and EU decision makers. Launched after the adoption of the EESC's opinion Towards structured youth engagement on climate and sustainability in the EU decision-making process, the Round Tables are held twice a year and are hosted by the EESC. Each time a group of youth representatives meets with the Commissioner whose portfolio is relevant for the discussion while a follow-up mechanism ensures their demands are duly considered by the European Commission. Read more
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EESC online event | Healthy planet for healthy people
On 14 July 2022, the EESC hosted an online event in the context of the High-Level Political Forum on sustainable development (HLPF) whose theme this year was "Building back better from the coronavirus disease while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development". The event took stock of EU progress towards SDG 15 (Life on land) with a specific focus on biodiversity decline and land degradation. A video recording is available on our website. Read more
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EU Circular Talks - EU digital product passport event
On 8 July the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform Leadership Group on Sustainable products and design held an event to assess EU regulatory initiatives and thinking on digital product passports. The event focused on challenges and pathways ahead and on learning from the experience provided by frontrunner stakeholders that have already conceptualised digital products passports and are operating them on the EU market. A video recording of the event is available. Read more
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High Level Political Forum 2022 | Progress report on the SDGs
The HLPF on the SDGs took place in New York from 5 to 15 July with the theme "Building back better from the coronavirus disease while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development". The annual presentation of the Secretary-General's progress report on the SDGs is an occasion to review efforts to date and renew commitments to achieving the 2030 agenda. Multiple global crises and growing geopolitical tensions are testing the viability of achieving the SDGs by 2030 but times of crises also offer the opportunity to take decisive action and build innovative partnerships that drive transformative economic and social change. Read more
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European Court of Auditors report on LEADER
Introduced in 1991, the LEADER programme - the EU’s participatory and bottom-up policy for rural development - has helped to facilitate local engagement but its approach is costly and its approval processes are slow. More than a decade after a first audit was carried out, a recently published special report by the European Court of Auditors (ECA) concludes that there is little evidence to suggest that the benefits of the LEADER approach outweigh the costs and risks involved. Read more
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FAO report | The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022
According to a report by FAO, the world is moving backwards in its efforts to end hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition in all its forms. Eight years away from 2030, the distance to reach many of the SDG 2 (zero hunger) targets is growing wider each year while efforts made are proving insufficient in the face of a more challenging and uncertain context. Conflicts, climate extremes and economic shocks combined with the high cost of nutritious foods and growing inequalities will continue to challenge food security and nutrition until agrifood systems are transformed. Read more
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Institute for Climate Economics | Recommendations for the European Carbon Certification Framework
To achieve the climate goals of the UE, the European Commission's Communication on Sustainable Carbon Cycles includes plans to build a European certification for carbon removals to encourage carbon storage in the land sector and guarantee the impact of funded projects. The Institute for Climate Economics proposes 7 recommendations for the development of a common and harmonised framework at European level by better relying on the expertise acquired through existing certification frameworks. Read more
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RECENTLY ADOPTED OPINIONS
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At its 571st plenary session, held on 13 and 14 July 2022, the European Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinions in the field of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment:
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OTHER LINKS AND NEWSLETTERS
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- European Environment Agency - news
- European Commission - DG CLIMA - news
- European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform - newsletter
- Eurpean Sustainable Development Network (ESDN) - newsletter
- European Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils (EEAC) - newsletter
- FAO - newsletter
- ECOLISE - newsletter
- Via Campesina - press releases - newsletter
- Copa Cogeca - press releases
- The European Network for Rural Development - home - events
- Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) - latest news
- Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) - newsletter
- International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food) - updates
- Meta - the news channel of the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) - news
- European Parliament - Envi Committee - newsletter
- EESC - Liaison Group - newsletter
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