EPHA participated last 8-9 May in a meeting organised by Solidar, Oxfam International and CIDSE.
In this meeting NGOs told European Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy that the EU, and others, have so far failed to deliver on their promises to make development the primary focus of the current WTO, Doha Development round negotiations.
Lamy recognized that developing countries are sometimes put under unacceptable pressure in WTO negotiations.
He stated that the EU categorically rejected these methods and that he would support the EU subscribing to a code of conduct if other WTO members were also prepared to sign.
The Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), is seen by many development agencies and governments as an obstacle to the EU from offering a fair deal to developing countries and in turn has held up the whole of the negotiating round.
Jo Leadbeater, of Oxfam International and one of the organisers of the event, says a deal struck by the German and French governments in Brussels last October "in effect blocks the prospect of introducing any substantive change in the Common Agricultural Policy until 2006, and delays any meaningful concessions until at least 2012".
But until then, NGOs are arguing that CAP should be reformed, unlinking (or ’decoupling’ in the jargon) subsidies paid to farmers for production.
Critics argue the link encourages over-production allowing EU farmers to ’dump’ products on developing markets, undercutting the local, unsubsidised products.
With the CAP mid-term review coming up, Mr Lamy will have to work hard to press his case with member states.
The "CAP-NGO Group" is a policy co-ordination group focused on the CAP reform formed by Environmental and Health NGOs. EPHA is a member of the CAP-NGO Group, you can follow its developments throught EPHA’s Food and Agriculture Working Group (Members only).
Documents of interest on this issue:
Analysis of the Public Health impact of the CAP by the Swedish National Institute of Public Health
"Food safety, environmental protection and the reform of the CAP: a new agricultural model for Europe?" by Allan Buckwell, Professor, Chairman, Policy Group of the European
Landowners Organisation
"Food Wars, The Battle for Mouths, Minds and Markets" by Tim Lang, Professor of Food Policy at Thames Valley University and Michael Heasman, co-founder of New Nutrition Business and Financial Times Food Business
