Can European external strategy on agricultural issues help Europeans cope with 21 st century challenges?

3.1. Greater coherence between European policies

Considering the contradictions that exist between European policies, there is definitely space for improvement for the EEAS and the Commission’s DGs to increase the coherence and ultimately the efficiency of their policies, ing an upholding global food security goals whatever the policy (CAP, develop-ment, trade, etc.). By taking clearer political and strategic action for sustain-able agriculture and food security, Europeans are likely to strengthen their leadership on environmental issues.

3.2. CAP: Is ‘Europe feeding the world’ an appropriate objective?

Food security challenges give rise to declarations about a necessary inten-sification of European agriculture in order to help feed the growing number of mouths on earth. This approach is sometimes considered as the EU’s main means of contributing to global food security. Even if this approach deserves some attention, Europeans should instead use a wide range of tools to help developing countries ensure their own food security. This is a lesson learned from the unsuccessful international recommendations made in the last 20 years regarding agriculture in developing countries.

3.3. Helping the world produce more with less

Achieving food security in a sustainable way might be possible thanks to improvements in agricultural productivity. Saving natural resources (water, raw materials, etc.) will involve important productivity challenges. Water conservation, for example, is commonly described as requiring “more crops per drops”. Another challenge is technology: developments which could help

129

investments. In its next multiannual financial framework, the EU plans to sup-port research programmes related to this issue. Along with this, however, the EU will also have to:

• Use the benefits of innovation to reinforce cooperation of the EU with part-ner countries and international organisations. That is why the EU must be clearer on its scientific and technical choices on GMOs: in order to concen-trate on fewer efficiently-funded research objectives concerning agricul-tural productivity.

• Support a knowledge-based agriculture that will involve farmers, research-ers and experts in addressing the complex issues of green farming systems.

• Encourage small-scale projects to take into account the diversity and com-plexity of agro-systems. Currently Leader projects financing local groups and small scale experiences for rural development could be used to boost local innovations to improve agricultural productivity according to agro-nomic diversity and complexity. The programming and financing rules of research and agriculture policies must also take into account the need to promote a knowledge-based-agriculture based on small scale projects.

3.4. Less production for more consumption

A huge amount of work is being carried out by Europeans to understand and avoid food waste in the food chain, as an estimated 30% of food in the EU is wasted from farm to fork. The knowledge of the EU could help promote efficient food production process models wherever this industry is under development.

Conclusion

Global food security and environmental challenges are closely related and must be tackled together. To create a unified strategy, a sectoral approach based on agriculture would be useful to eliminate existing contradictions between EU policies while simultaneously taking into account the business dimension of European agriculture. Such an approach would obviously reinforce the voice, influence and legitimacy of Europeans abroad and improve the coherence of its actions and positions outside its borders.

SaVinG EMiSSionS TraDinG FroM irrElEVancE

Stephen Tindale | Associate Fellow, Centre for European Reform (CER)

Summary

Uncontrolled climate change is the greatest risk that humanity faces. The main burden will fall on developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

But Europe and its residents will also be damaged in many ways, including extreme weather, heat waves, and the spread of tropical diseases.

Climate change is a quintessentially global challenge. If pollution shifts from one part of the world to another – from Europe to China, for example – the global climate is no better off.

The main EU climate policy, the Emissions Trading System, now stipulates such a low carbon price that it has become essentially irrelevant. The European Commission should propose a Europe-wide carbon price floor of €30 per tonne, high enough to influence investment decisions and encourage energy efficiency and low-carbon energy supply. The Commission should also propose border tax adjustments, with the revenue returned to the country of origin.

Introduction

The Durban Climate Change Conference set a timetable for agreeing new tar-gets on greenhouse gas reductions. This was better than nothing – but not much. There is little prospect for significant global agreement on climate change. So the EU should focus on its internal climate policy.

Uncontrolled climate change is the greatest risk that humanity faces. A report commissioned by 20 governments and published in September 2012 estimates

131

direct human cost, there is a high economic cost. The report calculates that climate change is already costing the global economy €930 billion each year.¹ These figures will get worse no matter what is done from now on, but without rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, they will spiral out of control.

The main burden will fall on developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. But Europe and its residents will also be damaged in many ways, includ-ing extreme weather, heat waves, and the spread of tropical diseases.

The economic situation in Europe has reduced the attention and priority given to climate change. But insufficient attention to climate policy exacerbates eco-nomic risks. Using energy more efficiently will deliver immediate ecoeco-nomic advantages, by creating employment through retrofitting programmes, for example. Expanding renewable energy will deliver economic advantages in the mid- and longer term. Well designed climate policies could contribute to EU economic recovery by increasing investment in energy efficiency and low-carbon energy.

Climate change is a quintessentially global challenge. If pollution shifts from one part of the world to another – from Europe to China, for example – the global climate is no better off.