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A Green CAP?

Making Europe’s agriculture more sustain-able was the main theme of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. Beginning as the Commission’s proposal of three mandatory requirements under the First Pillar, the final greening measures that must now be put into place by farmers may not be as green a result as many were hoping for.

While we must ensure productive and safe agriculture, it is clear that the European public places greater demands for biodiversity protec-tion than before. To ensure that support for the CAP continues after 2020, farmers will need to prove that they can sustainably intensify their production and acts as responsible countryside stewards.

However, the end result of the greening meas-ures offer only limited appeal. Our Multifunc-tional Landscapes Roadshow event in London showed that less that 25% of UK farmers are under the 5% EFA requirement; meaning that many will not have to go further to achieve the new criteria. Furthermore, the many exemp-tions and national schemes taken up in the process of the reform may be significant hurdles for a greening that is noticeable to the European taxpayer.

The ELO has always supported a sensible green-ing of the CAP, and I am worried that this re-form is only a step, but not a giant leap forward for biodiversity and sustainable intensification in Europe. We must make the CAP durable on the long term.

Thierry de l’ESCAILLESecretary General

Editorial

The transformative potential of the EU-US

partnership f

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I. GARCIA BERCERO

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T h e t ra n s fo r m a t i ve p o te n t i a l o f t h e E U - U S p a r t n e r s h i p

The transformative potential of the EU-US partnership

Fast and deep geopolitical shifts to EU-US relations Following WWII, transatlantic cooperation was institutionalised essentially around de-fence and military cooperation through NATO. Although US President John F. KEN-NEDY called for a “declaration of interde-pendence” as early as 1962, all attempts to shape a closer and comprehensive eco-nomic bilateral framework have failed. This includes the EU’s attempts to spur a bilater-al trade pact initiative under Sir Leon BRIT-TAIN, or under the German Presidency in 2007.

What is happening today is a rebalancing of the transatlantic relationship from secu-rity to economy, with a rising focus on lev-eraging the bilateral trade relation for eco-nomic growth.

On security, the relationship is still impor-tant. But, Europe is no longer the US’s first ‘line of defence’ for security matters in the context of the Asia-Pacific pivot and of a more inward-looking US defence poli-cy. Europe has thus evolved progressively from the position of the essential partner, central to US security calculations, to one of a ‘forward partner’ with a mainly regional importance, having to rely on its own re-sources for self and neighbours’ security.

On the other hand, bilateral economic co-operation is on the rise, linked to bilateral and global factors. For the US and Europe, bilateral trade is a powerful engine to stim-ulate their economies, heavily and dura-bly constrained by budget consolidation needs. For both partners, low growth is not an option as it would fuel social unrest and undermine the political basis for federal in-tegration in Europe – and to some extend in the US – as illustrated by the rise of pop-ulism. Ultimately, stagnation would also in-crease the risk of losing ground in terms of innovation, in particular in Europe where R&D spending is increasingly limited, while Asian countries have increased their share dramatically. On the global stage, the world power-house is shifting fast and the case for lever-aging the transatlantic relation as a means to influence the future disciplines has con-siderably increased on both sides of the Atlantic. By 2030, Asia is projected to have

surpassed North America and Europe com-bined in terms of global power, based upon GDP, population size, military spend-ing, and technological investment. This new situation makes the modernisation of global disciplines more indispensable (e.g. fostering trade in services and FDIs to foster global innovation), but also more difficult.

An ambitious TTIP is compelling An ambitious Transatlantic Trade and In-vestment Partnership (TTIP) deal would undoubtedly stimulate growth at home. It would foster bilateral trade flows by more than 30%, and spur growth with a 0.5% GDP gain. This would be by far the biggest FTA ever signed, connecting the world’s two biggest economies more closely. The political equation will certainly be tainted by difficult discussions on agriculture and domestic regulations, but negotiators can count on wide public support, as shown in the recent Pew Research Centre survey: 58% of Americans believe that increased trade with Europe would be positive for their country and 69% of Europeans are in favour of a new effort to deepen econom-ic ties between the EU and the US. For US businesses, the EU remains attractive de-spite its current hurdles. It has the highest environmental and social standards and its leadership in technology, industry and services is very strong and wide-ranging. There are more ‘Global Fortune 500’ com-panies in Europe than in the US and many EU companies are world leaders in techno-logical sectors, such as the French-based Arianespace for satellite launch or the Ger-man SAP in the software business. And last but not least, London remains the biggest world financial centre.

The first frontier is about maintaining a glob-al open economy, which can no longer be taken for granted, with the WTO negotia-tions stalemate. Especially since challenges are growing: protectionist pressures fuelled by people’s fear of globalisation are on the rise in advanced and emerging markets, the multilateral system is failing to adapt fully to the rise of the BRICs, and new rules have to be developed to catch up with the new challenges of a digital economy. Un-like 70 years ago, the EU and the US can-not face these challenges alone, but nei-ther should they accept inactivity. Togeth-er they can create a confidence shock at home and vis-à-vis other partners. Internal-ly, the TTIP is a golden opportunity to up-date our common trade rule book and to

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C O N T E N T S

• The transformative potential of the EU-US partnership 1

• European Biodiversity Conference 2013 21st Century Land Use: Reporting on

the European Biodiversity Conference 4

• Regional 6th Forum for the Future of Agriculture in Lisbon 6

• Regional Forum for the Future of Agriculture - Berlin 8

• Report on the ELO General Assembly in Athens 10

• Minor Use of Plant Protection Products 11

• The Multifunctional Landscapes Roadshow has come to an end. The concluding event was organized in

London on October 16th, in close collaboration with the CLA. 12

• CAP Communication Awards 2013 12

• Market and property rights: how to reconcile environmental management, economic growth and new governance? 14

• Wildlife Estates Plenary Session 2013 in Czech Republic 15

• CIC photo prizes 2014 16

• Second edition of the forum for countryside entrepreneurship 16

• Diary dates 2014 16

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develop a more positive narrative on the benefits of trade for growth and jobs, high-lighting notably the value of imports for advanced economies. Externally, both part-ners should advocate that these new fair rules could revitalise WTO negotiations: as before the Uruguay rounds, bilateral deals should be seen as incentives to reinforce the multilateral trade system.

The second frontier is about sustaining glob-al growth in a world with limited natural re-sources. This is one of the most important challenges of this century. A defensive Mal-thusian approach would be as wrong to-day as it was 200 years ago, and the only way out is technological innovation. The TTIP can play a decisive role to foster inno-vation with a better allocation of resourc-es, new common standards, new services and more financing. Even more decisive-ly, both partners need to increase public confidence in innovation so as to ensure that the wheel of progress will keep mov-ing in the right direction and at the right pace. The TTIP is therefore an opportuni-ty to move closer to a common approach to science-based risk management, ensur-ing that technological progress is managed rather than curtailed by fear.

Third, the TTIP could definitely help push forward Europe’s integration frontier, to-wards a more united, stable and respon-sible EU. This is clearly in the interests of the US. With the TTIP, Europeans will have to act as a group, as negotiations are con-ducted by Brussels on behalf of Paris, Lon-don, Berlin and the 25 other capitals. More importantly, the TTIP will build a second pillar to the transatlantic partnership set up decades ago around security and defence

with NATO. This economic pillar, based on a strong EU DNA, will represent solid incen-tives for citizens and states to remain in the EU remit and give new arguments against eurosceptics in the member states.

Finally, the fourth frontier is a step forward in the development of a real ‘Atlantic Space’, which would also include African and Lat-in American countries. While most of the world focuses today on the Asia Pacific re-gion, we should not forget that the Atlan-tic space is already active and offers huge opportunities with only limited geopoliti-cal conflicts. Notably, this region represents a huge energy potential with 40% of world petroleum reserve, 33% of global gas pro-duction and crystallising economic pros-pects with a rocketing growth in some Af-rican regions.

TTIP as a test of our leadership domes-tically So far, opinions have been positive on both sides as indicated by polls. But civil socie-ty and parliaments have to get on board. This may be the most difficult aspect of the political equation. It will require continual-ly keeping an eye on the overall strategy. More importantly, policy makers should pay attention to ensuring that the neces-sary domestic changes induced by a closer partnership are acceptable politically and socially. In a sense, the TTIP will be a test of our capacity – both in the US and EU – to make the necessary domestic reforms to become fully integrated within a globalised world, be it on industrial standards, envi-ronmental protection or the liberalisation of services. Protectionist reflexes and sensi-tive issues, such as private data protection,

should be addressed with great care, to avoid the political hijacking of an endeav-our aimed precisely at strengthening EU and US weight and influence in tomorrow’s world. In this respect, it is always important to remember that after WWII, the transat-lantic relation has been pivotal in shaping and energising the global economy. It has enabled several decades of unrivalled pros-perity and peace, building on multilateral infrastructure and the mix of free market economy, democracy and rule of law. In a rapidly changing and unpredictable world, the TTIP may be the once-in-a-generation opportunity to continue and extend what was initiated 70 years ago.

Eric PETERS - Adviser Bureau of European Policy Advisers (BEPA) of the President of the Commission European Commission

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Ninth WTO Ministerial Conference

The ELO will closely follow the out-comes of the “Bali Package”, adopted on the 7 December 2013. A series of deci-sions were adopted aimed at streamlin-ing trade, allowing developing countries more options for providing food securi-ty, boosting least-developed countries’ trade and generally increasing develop-ment.

For more information please visit www.wto.org

(red)

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“We have held these events for seven years already, and we have to ensure a dynamic private offer”, stated Veronique MATHIEU HOUILON MEP, emphasizing the import-ant role that private landowners have in the protection of land and biodiversi-ty across Europe. In her speech, the MEP praised both European initiatives like Na-tura 2000 and human intervention, with-out both “we would not enjoy our cur-rent landscape”. These sentiments were echoed by ELO secretary-general Thierry de l’ESCAILLE, who reminded the audi-ence that landowners assume “the rights, responsibilities, but also the liabilities” of their ownership.

Delivering the provocation speech, Na-talie PAUWELS, member of cabinet for DG ENVI Commissioner POTOCNIK, demon-strated that the European public strong-ly believes in increased biodiversity pro-tection, and that the greening of the CAP would “deliver a greener and more sustain-able agriculture”. Fortunately, she argued, an overwhelming majority of Europe-ans have stated that biodiversity, both for spiritual and economic reasons, re-mains highly important for them, even in times of crisis. The latest Eurobarome-ter, for example, showed that “nine out of ten people think that it is important to halt biodiversity loss”. According to the speak-

European Biodiversity Conference 2013

21st Century Land Use: Reporting on the European Biodiversity Conference

er however, much more needs to be done to properly take biodiversity into account in economic issues; this makes the pro-cess of estimating the value of biodiversi-ty even more vital. Taking questions after her speech, PAUWELS agreed that more needs to be done to positively influence consumer behaviour, with food waste still at a very high level.

After this stimulating start to the debate,

the 1st panel, moderated by Eric PETERS, advisor to the European Bureau of Pol-icy Advisers, discussed the issue of cur-rent land use and its problems. Demon-strating that this is not limited to Europe alone, Raphaël ALOMAR, consultant at SOLVING EFESO, tackled the issue of glob-al land grabbing. With 20 million hectares changing hands per year (most of which going to agriculture and biofuel produc-tion), this has now become a truly glob-

Land use was at the core of the seventh European Biodiversity Conference, organized by the Euro-pean Landowners’ Organization, with the support of MEP Veronique MATHIEU HOUILLON and MEP Joseph DAUL. This event, held at the European Parliament, looked at central questions on this topic; are we placing too much pressure on the same land, and what can we do better in the future? To present the latest science and solutions, the ELO assembled two expert panels with scientists, policy makers, and land owners and managers.

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al issue. Returning to the European land market, Professor Liesbet VRANKEN of the University of Leuven showed the impact of legal structures on land markets. While there are differences in land markets be-tween European countries, it is clear that the post-Soviet privatisation efforts have played a huge role in Eastern Europe, while tenant security plays a dominant role in Western Europe. Prof. VRANKEN took the Belgian example to show that strong legal protection for tenants has caused rental prices to sink too low, lead-ing to “horsification and gardenification” of the countryside, activities that deliver subsidies and some value, but are not in line with a need for increased food pro-duction.

Turning to the interaction between cur-rent land use and biodiversity, Prof. Klaus HENLE argued that the new CAP greening measures would likely be insufficient to safeguard Europe’s biodiversity, with eco-logical focus areas likely to be too small to support species with a large body mass. He was followed by Niels TRESCHOW of the Federation of Swedish Landown-ers, who gave practical examples of land management on his estate, showing that although the Swedish government has already met many agri-environmental re-

quirements to enhance the health of the farmed landscape, the European demand for more biodiversity protection is cur-rently not met with enough financial sup-port for land managers who act for biodi-versity. Giving several examples of biodi-versity management on his terrain, as well as the demands of Swedish legislation, he argued that the current price of biodiver-sity management has not yet been trans-lated into the final prices paid by consum-ers.

The 2nd session, moderated by Martin SCHEELE, Head of Unit, environment, ge-netic resources and EIP at DG AGRI, was devoted to the reconciliation of land use and biodiversity conservation, with Dr. Tobias PLIENINGER kicking off the ses-sion with an exploration of the concept of ecosystem services. Arguing that these should be applied at the larger landscape scale, rather than at the single farm level, he stated that “agricultural systems are de-pendent on ecosystem services and a pro-vider of these, but that [agriculture] can also have a negative impact”. He supported the idea of “bundling” multiple ecosystem ser-vices, which could make it more attractive to buyers, but warned at the same time that not all such services may be market-able given the ethical issues involved in

monetising services that many consider to be universal.

Looking at agricultural intensification, Jür-gen TACK, director of the Flemish Institute for Nature and Forestry Research, warned that this “nearly always leads to a loss of as-sociated biodiversity”. He contrasted this with organic agriculture, which he said had a clear species advantage over con-ventional agriculture. Looking to the fu-ture, he argued that we have to “move to ecological, rather than agricultural, intensifi-cation”. Demonstrating practical solutions, he strongly argued in favour of reducing evaporation and the harvest of rain water could have significant advantages, as well as the use of conservation tillage or cost effective mowing that can have a very positive impact on farmland bird species if timed right.

Closing the conference was David GWYTHER of the Buccleugh estate, who presented the practical Whole Estate De-velopment Planning tool that had been developed by the estate to translate mac-ro-objectives into on-field realities. While this tool had been receiving increased Eu-ropean interest, he warned that it both needed sufficient scale and comprehen-sive data to work. Echoing the presenta-tion of Dr. PLIENINGER, he too argued for an increased uptake of payment for eco-system services to ensure the right incen-tives for land managers.

Concluding the event, moderator Martin SCHEELE saw definite opportunities for ecosystem services, and suggested that further efforts should be made “to consol-idate incentive payments for providing eco-system services”.

Robert de GRAEFF, ELOCaroline MAHR, ELO

In the framework of the Biodiversity Conference, the Belleuropa Award was issued to Mr Stéphane GERARD, the owner of the Babinek Estate, for his excellent work in Poland. V.MATHIEU, S.GERARD, T.de l’ESCAILLE, Ch.BUREN

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With almost 400 participants, this event, organized by the Euro-pean Landowners’ Organization

(ELO), Syngenta, the Union of the Mediter-ranean Forest (UNAC) and the Portuguese National Landowners Game Management and Biodiversity Organization (ANPC), stim-ulated vibrant discussions about how to produce more food whilst preserving the environment.

Thierry de l’ESCAILLE, Secretary General of the ELO, Alain-Dominique QUINTART from Syngenta and António Paula SOARES Pres-ident of ANPC, opened the event. They commented that this annual Forum brings together a diverse range of stakeholders to catalyse thinking on the way European

Regional 6th Forum for the Future of Agriculture in Lisbon

agriculture needs to respond to the major challenges: delivering both food and envi-ronmental security. The aim of the Forum “is to discover new ways to increase production and help the Portuguese and European econ-omies reflect on how best to apply technolo-gies that lead to sustainability, and to critique European policies that sometimes don’t look for market opportunities to feed the growing world population”. It seeks to show how ag-riculture can be both intensive but sustain-able.

The first session, “Global vision: New forms of production and economic de-velopment”, was dedicated to innovation; to finding new ways of increasing our pro-duction as well as increasing the Portu-

guese and European economies, some-thing that Europe is currently in sore need of. It was moderated by Francisco MANTE-RO, President of the Portuguese Association for Economic Development and Coopera-tion. He introduced Barun MITRA, from the Liberty Institute in New Delhi, who spoke about the efficient use of water. Specifical-ly, Mr MITTRA talked about Water as a right (free to access, but scarce and of poor qual-ity) versus the Water as property (priced but plentiful). Bernardo PACHECO DE CARVAL-HO, from the Institute of Agronomy, then spoke about new markets, observing that “Europe can only improve its overcapacity, if it opens to the world, boosting links with Afri-ca, Latin America and countries of the tropics”. John LÉ, Board Member of Portucel Sopor-

On the 8th of October the regional conference of the 6th Forum for the Future of Agriculture, was held in the

Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, under the title: “Meeting the Food & Environmental Challenge: The

agroforestry challenge – producing while safeguarding the environment”.

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cel, pointed out that in recent years two out of every three jobs in Portugal were gener-ated in the agroforestry sector, and gave an example of innovative products generated in the sub-sector of forestry: natural fiber-based packaging, geotextiles, bio or intel-ligent paper. Vital MORGADO, from AICEP followed this giving the point of view of Trade and Investment.

After this, the FFA explored how farmers and land managers will integrate changes to the CAP into their farms and forests, in a session entitled “European vision: The CAP and the Food production”. It was opened by Eric PETERS, Adviser of the Presi-dent of the European Commission (BEPA - Bureau of European Policy Advisers), who believes that the EU position should always be based on excellence in innovation and high quality standards. It was recalled that the CAP budget, already approved, pre-dicts an investment of €100 billion in en-vironmental measures applied to agricul-ture between now and 2020. Eduardo DI-NIZ, Director of the Office of Planning and Policies/Ministry of Agriculture and Sea, ex-plained that the new CAP remunerates en-vironmental public goods, which presents a good opportunity for agricultural hold-ings. The Portuguese Government will seek a balance between sectors with great pro-ductivity and other, less productive indus-tries, spreading its activity throughout the territory. However, Allan BUCKWELL, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of European En-vironmental Policy and ELO’s expert for the CAP reform, provided an important critique

of the CAP. He explained that we have a smaller CAP, with an 11% budgetary reduc-tion, and that while the greening measures may be strong rhetoric, they are substan-tively week. This is because the European Commission’s initial ambition was barred by the European Parliament and the Euro-pean Council. Despite praising the “social role” of the current reform, Professor BUCK-WELL questioned whether this CAP will ac-tually contribute to an increased productiv-ity for European agriculture.

In the third and final session, “National vi-sion: Sustainable production and use of resources”, speakers and guests were invited to examine issues surrounding sus-tainability: how to apply it; how to make the best use of technology that leads to sus-tainability; and, how to use this in the field. Monica TEIXEIRA, Registration and Corpo-rate Affairs Manager in Syngenta Crop Pro-tection, was led this session, which was ini-tiated by keynote speaker Paula SARMEN-TO, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forestry. SARMENTO recognized the neces-sity for “specialization of territories for inten-sive agriculture and others that serve to con-serve biodiversity”. Forest management cer-tification is a tool to increase forest produc-tion, maintaining biodiversity.

The speakers gave practical examples of what is being done in Portugal. In the for-est sector, more than 120 thousand hec-tares are FSC certified, an international label certifying sustainable forest management. However, António GONÇALVES FERREIRA,

UNAC President cautioned that “these in-vestments are only viable if they are worth-while in economic terms too, and for this we need political instruments”.

Examples also exist in arable and horticul-tural sectors. João COIMBRA, corn pro-ducer in Ribatejo, demonstrated how to increase productivity through a more effi-cient management of land and water use, reducing CO2

emissions by 40%, to offset the emissions generated through irriga-tion, using photovoltaic panels for electric-ity production. He demonstrated also how you can promote biodiversity through the installation of multifunctional margins, and thus that it is possible to combine intensive and environmentally sustainable crops.

Intensive horticulture is practiced in the Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Cos-ta Vicentina, part of the irrigation perime-ter of Mira. Several companies prove every day that agriculture and the environment are both compatible and financially viable, by exporting thousands of tons of vege-tables and flowers to supermarket chains throughout Europe that require quality and environmental certification. “Producing inside a natural park is an asset for us”, says Paul DOLLEMAN, President of the Horticul-turist Association of the Southwest Alente-jo (AHSA). João CARVALHO, Secretary General of ANPC followed this, describing the Europe-an project “Wildlife Estates”, which assigns a label of quality to the hunting areas that promote conservation of natural resources. There are 40 certified properties in Portugal with this label.

The day was closed by Francisco GOMES DA SILVA, Portuguese Secretary of State of Forestry and Rural Development, who enunciated the challenge of finding ways to improve the natural resources of the forest, whose greatest problem is an inad-equate land tenure structure in the North and Centre of the country. Restructuring will take more than a decade to put into practice. He argued that it is up to produc-ers to get recognition from the market of the sustainable use of resources, and to the State to facilitate practices that lead the conservation of resources.

Clara MORENO, ELO

www.forumforagriculture.com

A. PAULA SOARES, M. TEIXEIRA, T. de l’ESCAILLE, F. GOMES DA SILVA, A-D. QUINTART, A. GONCALVES FERREIRA

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Christoph BÜREN, the president of the Eu-ropean Landowners Organization (ELO), kicked off the regional FFA by urging land-owners, managers and farmers to view the disputed greening measures as a po-tential opportunity. Although the imple-mentation of those measures still suffers from ambiguity, he asserted the need to satisfy the growing public demand for sustainable agricultural practices. In do-ing so, land owners, managers and farm-ers would publicly reaffirm their role as re-sponsible stewards of land. Mr. BÜREN also stressed the importance of the European Parliament’s involvement in the co-deci-sion process as this could potentially in-crease the public acceptance of the CAP.

Following the opening speech, Ico von WEDEL, from the Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Commission, took the floor. In anticipation of concerns relating to the greening measures, he argued that the decision to include those measures had been necessary to ensure continued sup-port and funding for the agricultural bud-get. He agreed with Christoph BÜREN in that the new CAP represented an op-portunity and asserted that the greening measures would not compromise the pro-ductive capacity of the European agricul-tural sector.

Professor Folkhard ISERMEYER, president of the Thünen Institute, was less optimis-tic in his diagnosis of the current state of the CAP. He argued that the latest policy reform completely failed to reflect current international developments in the agri-culture sector, while also being a poor re-sponse to the growing demand for sus-tainable, high quality produce. Although Professor Harald von WITZKE, from the Humboldt University, believed that the CAP had generally been progressing in

the right direction, he agreed with Profes-sor ISERMEYER in that he too felt that the latest reform involved a missed opportuni-ty to further address current trends in the agricultural sector. Carl-Albrecht BART-MER, president of the Deutsche Land-wirtschafts-Gesellschaft (DLG), was argu-ably the most critical of the proposed measures. In his view, the greening mea-sures involve publicly appealing policy solutions that lack environmental efficacy, which would ultimately stifle the domes-tic agricultural sector, while also increasing the demand for imported produce. Dr. Di-etrich GUTH, from the German Agriculture Ministry, was equally pessimistic, arguing that there was problematic trend away from the previously market-oriented na-ture of the CAP. The only true optimist in terms of the latest CAP was Jochen DETT-MER, from the Bund für Umwelt und Na-turschutz Detuschland (BUND). He stated that the reforms reflected an appropriate paradigm shift that demonstrated a justi-fied concern relating to the environmental

considerations and biodiversity. Mr. DETT-MER was convinced that the agricultural sector had caused a reduction in biodiver-sity and exacerbated, amongst others, ni-trate pollution as result of years of unfet-tered production. Thus, the greening mea-sures represented an adequate response in attempting to account for the afore-mentioned damages.

The regional FFA was concluded by a clos-ing speech from the president of the Ar-beitsgemeinschaft der Grundbesitzerver-bände, Michael PRINZ ZU SALM-SALM. He thanked the attendees and speakers for their heated and fruitful debate and em-phasized the need for further commit-ments toward improving the CAP.

Maximilian SEILERN und ASPANG, ELOwww.forumforagriculture.com

Regional Forum for the Future of Agriculture - Berlin

The latest regional Forum for the Future of Agriculture (FFA) was held in Berlin on the 23rd of October at

the offices of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Grundbesitzerverbände. The core issue of the forum was the most

recent Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms, with special emphasis placed on the newly introduced

Greening measures.

W. von DALLWITZ, T. de l’ESCAILLE, Ch. BUREN, M. zu SALM- SALM

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The General Assembly of the European Landowners’ Organization took place in Greece between the 25th and 27th of

November; representing a chance for ELO members to connect not only with each other, but also with the board of the

Friends of the Countryside and members of the Greek organizations as well as high officials. Enlivened by a formal din-

ner on the highest hill in Athens, giving a great view over the city and the Parthenon World Heritage site, this meeting

with as key speaker Stavros DIMAS, former EU Commissioner for Environment, was a chance for all present to share

their views and concerns about Europe’s countryside.

Even though it has now been passed by the European Council and Parliament, the CAP was still the first order of business. Questions were asked by both ELO Pres-ident Christoph BÜREN and Professor Al-lan BUCKWELL about the nature of the new greening requirements. Both won-dered wither or not the greening meas-ured proposed would be enough to make a real difference for Europe’s biodiversity. The second major question came from the ELO president, who wondered if the CAP “helps us produce more” at a time of a grow-ing global population. Greek associations and authorities figured prominently during the General Assem-bly, with several presentations about the importance of private property rights and the rights of forest owners in particular, in-cluding key note speech of Stavros KALA-FATIS, Alternate Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change. Although the forestry sector has escaped the worst of the financial crisis in Greece, they are still

feeling the effects, especially where it con-cerns illegal theft and cutting for firewood. Among the other issues raised were the problems of long rotation and land annu-ity. Although many members and officials commented on the state of the country’s financial and social systems, there was a mild feeling of optimism that the econo-my had now seen the worst.

Turning to the work of the ELO’s Europe-an Policy Group, its chairman Ross MUR-RAY gave an overview, including a de-bate on the payment for the ecosystem services provided by private landowners. The EPG had agreed that the issue of shale gas needed to be developed further, not-ing that the ownership of mineral rights as well as differing national attitudes still needed to be examined properly.

ELO Secretary-General Thierry de l’ESCAILLE gave a comprehensive over-view of the ELO’s goals for the coming months, including the US-EU trade deal, the expansion of the Wildlife Estates label,

Report on the ELO General Assembly in Athens

and the upcoming European Elections. Af-ter his presentation, he restated that the top-up for first hectares represented unfair competition that threatened to turn the CAP into a social policy rather than one that made economic sense.

The following day, ELO and FCS mem-bers had a chance to attend a workshop co-organised with the support of BASF on Greece’s agricultural and forestry sec-tor, as well as the issue of minor use and crop protection. Two presentations delved deeply into the need for further legal re-form in Greece’s forestry sector, noting that a new legal code of forestry was long overdue. Among the presentations was a success story for the Greek economy; its expanding wine sector will be a source of pride and income in the years to come.

The next General Assembly of the ELO will take place on the 18th and 19th of June 2014 in Rome.

Robert de GRAEFF, ELO

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Successful development such uses may be extrapolated to several, or even many minor uses. This extrapo-

lation often demands new data, especial-ly residue data. This is expensive. Risks of a minor use may be less, equal, or higher than the risk connected to the major use. The latter case demands either risk con-taining measures, or simply not authoriz-ing the minor use.Use of PPP is, like use of human medicine, strictly regulated. Any use of a PPP must be fully authorized, and is otherwise pro-hibited and illegal. Authorization rests on evaluation of extensive knowledge of the product and the applicant bears the cost. Because of this, authorization is expensive.

Industry does not apply for a use that is not profitable, and without application there is no authorization, meaning that the use is illegal. However, such uses may be indispensable to farmers, who are able to extrapolate agronomic effects such as efficacy. Hence, governments face farmers demanding authorization of minor uses, whilst at the same time facing illegal uses.

Farmers should be aware that absence of authorization may rest on economic dis-

interest of industry, but it may also relate to real risks to consumer’s health, farmer’s health, or the environment caused by dif-ferent residues, different dose-rates, appli-cation time, application methodology etc. It must be noted that industry cannot be held liable for damages resulting from ille-gal use, and that such damages are known to be sometimes of a magnitude leading to bankruptcy of the farm or contractor.

Regulation (EC) 1107/2009 is the EU har-monized law regulating the authorization of PPP. This regulation states that active substances from PPP must be approved at EU level by a permanent committee from member state officials and apply to all member states. Member States then authorize the uses of products containing approved substances based on an evalua-tion by a “Rapporteur Member State”. This evaluation is valid for the relevant EU zone (North, Central or South), and Member States in these zone recognize the evalua-tion and authorization as obligatory.

The Regulation recognizes minor use problems and contains incentives for in-dustry to apply. It also demands listing of uses on the national level, facilitating mu-

tual recognition of existing minor uses. The Regulation also requires the EU Com-mission to present a report on minor uses to the EU Council and parliament, high-lighting possible solutions and possible steps the Union might take. The report is not yet available, but the underlying study can be viewed on the EU website. Last but not least, article 51 focuses on the possi-bility of third party application for minor uses: extensions of authorizations. Any in-volved party may apply, Member States should facilitate such applications and ex-tensions of use, and extension is (in theo-ry at least) even possible in the event that industry opposes.

However, obtaining an extension of use is not easy. It requires good knowledge of the Regulation, and of the dossiers of the product and its possibilities for extrapola-tion. There may be data gaps to be filled, e.g. for residue. Because of the complexity of these matters it is important that farm-ers organize in crop groups, on nation-al level, and on EU level. A system of EU member state coordinators exists, guid-ed by a coordinator for South (France) and North/Central (the Netherlands). These groups look for the most efficient and most economical ways of obtaining as many minor use extensions as possible. They work closely together with indus-try and with the already existing farming groups.

It remains a challenge to organize these stakeholder groups on all levels, to set the necessary priorities and generate funds. The field of minor uses has been proven to be stubborn, but successes are possible and have, to some extent, been already obtained in several Member States.

Ton A.J.W.ROTTEVEEL BSc, Rotteveel Crop Protection Consultton.rotteveel@hotmail.nl

Minor Use of Plant Protection Products

A minor use of a plant production product (PPP) refers within industry to a use that is not profitable. In EU law it is de-

fined as a use in a member state on a crop not widely grown, or a use on a widely grown crop in case of an exceptional

need. Minor crops are not, however, minor to the farmers producing them, and, as all crops, are sensitive to damage

from weeds, pests and diseases. Measures to prevent economic damage are vital. All minor crops combined represent

22% of the crop value in the EU, which amounts to an estimated 70 billion euro. Almost all vegetables, fruits, spices and

fiber crops are minor in the EU.

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This is particularly important for the green-ing measures, as strong doubts exist within the policy and farming community in the UK on the true benefits of a “one size fit all approach” for agriculture and the environ-ment. The Government will work towards a stronger pillar two and the recognition of existing national agro-environmental schemes, alongside challenging some of the proposed measures, such as crop rota-tion, as an unnecessary burden on farmers.

MEP Richard ASHWORTH criticized the re-formed CAP for failing to meet the current and future challenges of food production, and DEFRA director of EU affairs Martin NESBITT advocated for the UK Government to focus on delivering a policy that truly and positively affects the environment.

The second panel focused on the impor-tance of biodiversity for agriculture, not simply in terms of sustainability and regen-eration of natural environments, but for its potential to positively impact yields and profitability. Dr Alastair LEAKE, Director of Policy at the Game and Wildlife Conserva-tion Trust argued that the UK has a number of efficient and well developed schemes, and farmers that are already doing some-thing for the environment should be re-

warded and encouraged to do more, rather than penalized and forced to change their practices. According to Dr. LEAKE, targeted and properly funded agro-environmental schemes, supported by proper training and agronomic advice can not only intensi-fy productivity, but also encourage a better environmental management. Richard PY-WELL, Professor at the Center for Ecology and Hydrology reinforced this message, by arguing that solutions like creating field margins on low yielding areas of the farm can deliver strong productivity increases alongside benefits for biodiversity, soil and water quality. Meanwhile Nick Von WEST-ENHOLZ, CEO of the Crop Protection As-sociation, placed emphasis on the impor-tance of new technologies and sustainable intensification.

The third panel gave voice to the concerns of British farmers. Henry Robinson, CLA Deputy President and Andrew Clark, Head of Policy Services at NFU both argued that the implementation of greening measures will be costly and will represent a burden, especially if the existing agro-environmen-tal schemes present in most of the country fail to be recognized and rewarded. The solution is to implement the reform in a smart way, adapting it to local needs and

concerns and integrating it fully into the existing schemes. Only this way, farmers will be inspired to do more for the environ-ment.

The journey of the Multifunctional Land-scapes Roadshow across Europe through various countries has enabled us to debate global issues through local perspectives. The relationship between agriculture, food security and environmental protection can no longer be ignored and needs to be ad-dressed holistically. In order to meet the food demands of the future, these issues need to be dealt with at the highest level, while ensuring that farmers invest in local flora and fauna as well as agricultural pro-duction.

Julianna NAGY, ELOhttp://www.multifunctional-land-scapes.eu/

The Multifunctional Landscapes Roadshow has come to an end. The concluding event was organized in London on October 16th, in close collaboration with the CLA.

The newly appointed Minister for Natural Environment and Fisheries, George EUSTICE, set the tone with

his keynote speech on the reformed CAP and the implementation of greening measures at national level.

Mr. EUSTICE highlighted the effort made by the UK Government to create a more flexible CAP, tailored and

adapted to the local conditions of each member states.

CAP Communication Awards 2013

Multifunctional Landscapes Roadshow project was one of 118 nominees for this year award. To discover the win-ners please visit the website http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/cap-com-munication-network/awards/win-ners-2013/index_en.htm

13

HUNTERS

FROM MAY 16TH TO 19TH, 2014AN EXH IB IT ION FOR ALL HUNTERS

LILLE GRAND PALAIS

14

Market and property rights: how to reconcile environmental management, economic growth and new governance?

Session 5: Advantages and limita-tions of environmental regulations The final session of the ICREI conference addressed whether the environmental regulations issue, raised in each session, is a cause or consequence of natural re-source management. In opening remarks, Rémi PRUDHOMME, professor at the Uni-versity of Paris XII, situated environmental concepts and regulation in their current

economic context, especially with regards to common “market failures”. But, the key question raise by the Professor was, is an economic failure sufficient to justify poli-cy intervention through the implementa-tion of regulations? Based on the exam-ple of the carbon price and the problem of quantifying pollution, Mr. PRUDHOM-ME showed the difficulty of encrypting data, often based on chance, and how dif-ficult it is to asses the costs of pollution.

Moreover, in the context of pollution, other frameworks are taken into consideration, such as the costs of pollu-tion and decontamination. Once the issue of policy im-plementing instruments is defined, it can be sum-marized according to into five or six elements. These would include prohibitions and obligations; standards, such as nitrogen discharge standards; actions to pro-tect species against cer-tain damages such as noise (protection rather than re-duction); and, economic in-struments including taxes or subsidies, which represent a direct market intervention. The issue of choosing an in-strument to achieve a goal through politics seems to depend on the priority. An economist will prefer tax-es and a politician will pre-

fer standards and prohibitions. However, the economic and regulatory instruments both have their pros and cons, knowing that economic instruments such as taxes are not completely amenable to the envi-ronment. In conclusion, Professor PRUD-HOMME believes that protecting the en-vironment is bound with public interven-tion. However, all interventions on behalf of the environment are not justified be-cause of the costs they generate, includ-ing the costs of implementation and in-tervention.

In response, Jean-Philippe FELDMANN, lawyer in Paris and associate professor of Law schools, presented a legal approach to the issue of regulation, focusing on the application of the precautionary princi-ple, especially in France. The precaution-ary principle is based on the following claim: “lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as an excuse to postpone the adoption of measures to prevent environ-mental degradation.” This principle is pri-marily applied in the field of environmen-tal and health legislation, but is also con-sidered by Community law as a general principle of law. In presenting the legal concept in its constitutional context, Mr. FELDMANN gave a very critical analysis of its application, defining it as a “consti-tutional and legal pollution” especially be-cause it directly affects the right of owner-ship through its inclusion in the charter of the Environment of 2004. To conclude, Mr. FELDMANN ended with these words: “In the short term, there remains no alterna-

The European Landowners’ Organization (ELO), the International Centre of Environmental Issues (ICREI) and the SAF-Agriculteurs de France came together on the 17th of April 2013 launch a new forum entitled “Market and property right : how to conceal environmental management, economic growth and new governance ? “ Previous sessions were summarized in CS145 and CS147 editions. (red.)

Vous êtes propriétaire de terres agricoles et vous cherchez une formule efficace et rentable pour la gestion de votre bien: l’équipe d’Agriland se met à votre disposition.

L’objectif d’Agriland est d’assurer une optimalisation financière en toute transparence et de renforcer le lien que vous avez avec votre terre. Nous vous informons sur les évolutions en matière d’agriculture, rencontrons les institutions publiques, encourageons l’emploi local et soutenons le verdissement par une gestion respectueuse de l’environnement.

Plus d’infos sur www.agriland.be

SA Agriland // Avenue Pasteur 23 - 1300 Wavre // tel. +32 10/232 906 // fax +32 10/232 909 // e-mail: agriland@skynet.be

AGRILAND

15

tive. But, to carefully distinguish the pre-cautionary principle from prevention is to distinguish uncertain risks from known risks. Only a strict interpretation is likely to limit the damage of a principle presented by its users as a call to action, when it is in fact a deeply reactionary concept.”

Following this intervention, François FAC-CHINI, professor at the University Paris XI, defended an economic approach on the cost of public regulations. According to the professor, we live in a world of scar-city, not abundance, implying that “every choice has a cost.” Public regulation trans-lates into direct costs and, what are called,

opportunity costs, which imply renounc-ing in favour of another economic policy instrument (tax, grant, and contract law) and abandoning solutions that individu-als would find in a free market. The direct costs of regulation correspond to compli-ance with the regulation by adapting de-cisions to existing texts. As a result, costs are usually passed on to wages, dividends or price. The second direct cost is ob-served in the administrative costs of con-trol and finally, the third direct cost is the cost of regulatory delays. This leads to a distribution of costs between the differ-ent administrative bodies and compli-cates the management of regulations,

which results in a poor quality of regula-tions. The effects of the costs of regula-tion, according to Mr. FACCHINI, are inev-itably reduced productivity and growth, transforming the environment in “a luxu-ry” and limiting in particular the interest of individuals to protect the natural environ-ment. This last point implies strengthen-ing the corruption and finally, strengthen-ing the number of non-enforced regula-tions.

In the final intervention, on the advantag-es and limitations of environmental reg-ulations, Arnaud COLSON, President of UEPG, heckled the audience by stating that the global housing issue will become a very important problem, in addition to natural resource problems such as water. According to him, there is no problem of resources, the problem is access to the re-sources. The important point in the future will be to integrate plans and find com-patibility between access and use of the mineral resources, and finding a consist-ent regulation in Europe with a common strategy. Mr. COLSON sees, in the admin-istrative complexity attributed to environ-mental protected areas, a nuisance for employment growth in Europe, encour-aging large companies to export their ex-pertise abroad where the constraints are less severe. Finally, he referred to the lack of homogeneity in the application of Eu-ropean regulations between countries of Western Europe and the countries of East-ern Europe, often involving issues of cor-ruption, especially when the government owns the land. The key to the industry would be a good understanding of en-vironmental issues at the local level and close work relations with governments, at the local and European level.

For more information please contact Delphine DUPEUX

(delphine.dupeux@elo.org) or Caroline MAHR

(caroline.mahr@elo.org).

Wildlife Estates Plenary Session 2013 in Czech Republic

This year’s annual plenary session of the Wildlife Estates initiative was held in Prague and Chlumec nad Cidlinou, in the Czech Republic. On September 3rd, the 23 participants arrived in Prague and immediately began their first working session, to discuss the general situation of the WE and its future. Over the next three days a variety of subjects and concerns were addressed, ranging from the appropriate methodology to implement WE principles, to how to support small game on privately managed land. The attendees spent a day at Karlova Koruna Castle, an hour east of Prague, during which they were given tours of game enclosures and hunting grounds. On Thursday the 5th of September, the participants met at the Ministry of Agriculture in Prague, to discuss they ways in which the WE label could be implemented in the Czech Republic.

Following Thierry de l’ESCAILLE’s opening statement, members from the WE and the Ministry of agriculture presented their views on greening requirements and equivalence schemes, Natura 2000, and country specific implementation. On their final day, WE members embarked on a field visit to the Hamouz Estate where they were shown how to best implement landscape features that also promote biodiversity.

We look forward to seeing you in Holkham, England, on the 11th of September 2014 for our next plenary session.

WE Teamhttp://www.wildlife-estates.eu/

16CountrySide

is a publication of ELOin English and French

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DIARY DATES 2014

2014 declared by UN General Assembly the International Year of Family Farminghttp://www.fao.org/nr/research-extension-systems/ais-ff/fr/

15th January, Seville, SpainConference on crops with a special focus on sunflower co-organised by ELO and Syngenta www.elo.org

16 – 17 January, Strasbourg, France Have Your Say! 2-day event to discuss on healthy and vibrant social entrepreneurship sector rights across Europe.http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/conferences/2014/0116-social-entrepreneurs/details_en.htm

29 - 30 January, BrusselsWater Lives: scientific horizons for biodiversity and water policywaterlives.commitee@freshwaterbiodiversity.eu

31st of January - 2nd of February, Brussels 2nd Forum for Countryside Entrepreneurship, organised by YFCSwww.yfcs.eu

1st April, Brussels, the Square 7th Forum for the Future of Agriculturehttp://www.forumforagriculture.com/

8th April, WarsawProperty rights conference, co-organised by ELO and Polish Landowners Organization PTZwww.elo.org

22-25 May, European UnionElections to European Parliamenthttp://www.europarl.europa.eu

SECOND EDITION OF THE FORUM FOR COUNTRYSIDE ENTREPRENEURSHIP

When: 31st January – 2nd February 2014Where: Brussels

The second edition of the Forum for Countryside Entrepreneurship will take place in Brussels and will focus on discussing topics such as business start-ups, tools for promoting new businesses and young entrepreneurs in the countryside as well as the issue of succession.The discussion will focus on two main topics: 1) “How to successfully manage existing rural businesses”, and 2) “Getting a start-up on the GO!” Speakers will include representatives from the EU Commission (DG Enterprise), Friends of the Countryside, the Rothschild foundation, YFCS and others.The programme for this edition of the Forum for Countryside Entrepreneurship will be sent to you soon. Don’t miss out on this visit to a Belgian estate! http://www.yfcs.eu/

CIC PHOTO PRIZES 2014

We are glad to announce an international competition for wildlife photography organised by the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC), open to both professionals and amateurs. The theme for the 2014 contest is: “Astonishing Wildlife”. The prize money ranges from 250 to 1000 EUR. The Prizes will be awarded at the 61st CIC General Assembly in Milan, Italy, on 26th April 2014. The aim of the prize is to stimulate observations in the field and an awareness of the aesthetic value of wildlife and hunting. Another aim is to suggest that a passion for hunting can find expression in different ways – photography being another facet of an appreciation of wildlife. The competition provides an important link between hunters and non-hunting lovers of wildlife.

For more information on the competition and the application please visit the CIC website: www.cic-wildlife.orgWho we are » Awards and Prizes » Wildlife Photo Prize

CIC Team

© C

IC