Farmers are under great pressure from markets – often through low or strongly fluctuating prices – to adapt by specialising and rationalising their businesses. These processes could lead to a problematic regional concentration and to the abandoning of farming in disadvantaged regions.
At its plenary session on 16 July 2009 the European Economic and Social Committee, acting under Rule 29(2) of its Rules of Procedure, decided to draw up an own-initiative opinion on Transport policy in the Western Balkans. The Section for External Relations, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 4 March 2010. The rapporteur was Mr Zoltvány. At its 461st plenary session, held on 17 and 18 March 2010 (meeting of 17 March), the European Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 132 votes to 2, with 4 abstentions.
Download — Transport policy in the Western Balkans
In the Committee's view, the right to food is a fundamental citizenship right, as is the right of civil society to intervene in all aspects of this issue; moreover, it considers global food security to be a fundamental human right.
