Europee’s Agri‐Fo ood Busin nesses calll for an EU U policy sh hift towarrds innova ation Sectors present po olicy recom mmendationns to EU fa arm ministe ers to unlocck the pote ential of Europe’’s agriculturral and food industriess to masterr key challen nges and oppportunitie es Athens, 6 May 201 14 ‐‐ A broa ad coalition of groups representing r g Europe’s aagricultural and a food businesss interests is calling for b better and sm marter policyy‐making tha at fosters innnovation and d creates jobs, enssuring that th he EU agri‐fo ood chain beecomes more e productive and resourcce‐efficient. The grou up of 11 EU U‐level associations preseented their joint “Vision n for unlockking the pottential of agricultu ure and food industriess in the EU”” during the e meeting off EU Ministeers for Agricculture in Athens o on 6 May. The coalition includes nu merous agricultural inpu ut industriess such as sup ppliers of machineery, seed, ferrtilisers, crop p protection,, animal heaalth, feed and biotechnoology‐based p products, as well aas the agricu ultural trade and of courrse EU farme ers and the European foood and drin nk sector. Together, these indu ustries accou unt for aboutt 30 million jobs and 3.5% % of the EU’ss gross value e added1. In their ‘‘Joint Vision’’, the signato ories underliine the impo ortance of prroviding a seecure and safe supply of food not only for EU citizens but also beyyond Europe e’s borders, a and to do soo in a sustain nable and mentally frieendly manne er. At the saame time, the European Agri‐Food Chain pointts to the environm economic weight of the sectors involved annd of their im mportant relevance in aachieving ove erarching EU policyy goals such as higher em mployment aand econom mic growth. The group is uunited in its call for a more strreamlined EU U policy agenda that pla ces the prom motion of innovation at its very core e in order to sustaiin a safe, higgh‐quality an nd affordablee food produ uction and co onsequent c hoice for consumers. Innovation in agri‐food has been n too little enncouraged an nd in some cases has beeen actively hampered by Europ pean decision makers. In view of the upcoming Europe ean Parliameent elections at the end d of May an d the new European E Commisssion to take office later this year, thhe agri‐food associationss urge both institutions to jointly work forr a strong sttimulus to innovation in their sectorrs by better and science‐‐based policy making and by strengtheningg the innovative forces oof the internaal market. The EU A Agri‐Food Ch hain sees its joint vision as a first ste ep in this dirrection and sstands readyy to work with EU U decision makers m of alll institutionns to achievve the comm mon goal off a competitive and w’s opportuunities ‐ by smarter sustainable Europe that turns today’s chhallenges intto tomorrow regulatio ons that supp port innovattion all acros s the agri‐food chain.
1
CELCAA ((European Liaisson Committee for the Agriculltural and Agri‐Food Trade), CEMA (Europeann Agricultural M Machinery), COCERAL (European Association of cerreals, rice, feeddstuffs, oilseeds, olive oil, oilss and fats and agrosupply tra ade), Copa‐ Cogeca (EEuropean Farmers and Agri‐C Cooperatives), ECPA (Europeaan Crop Protecction Associatioon), ESA (Euro opean Seed Association), EuropaBio (European Associations for BioIndustries), FEFAC (European Feed Maanufacturers Federation), Fertilisers Europe (Europ pean Fertiliserss Association), FoodDrinkEuro ope (European n Food and Driink Industry Asssociation), IFAH Europe (European A Animal Health Industry).
For additional information and press enquiries, please contact:
Pascale Rouhier, Secretary General, CELCAA p.rouhier@celcaa.eu Tel: +32 2 537 37 11 Mobile: +32 488 36 83 47 Beatriz Arribas, Communications Officer, CEMA beatriz.arribas@cema‐agri.org Tel.: +32 2 706 81 73 Teresa Babuscio, Secretary General, COCERAL secretariat@coceral.com Tel: +32 2 502 08 08 Amanda Cheesley, Press Officer, COPA‐COGECA Amanda.Cheesley@copa‐cogeca.eu Tel: +32 2 287 27 90 Mobile: + 32 474 84 08 36 Rosalind Travers, Communications Manager, EuropaBio r.travers@europabio.org Tel: +32 2 739 11 73 Mobile: + 32 478 680301 Craig Winneker, Director of Communications, ECPA craig.winneker@ecpa.eu Tel: +32 2 663 15 52 Mobile: +32 473 90 03 64 Ana Silva, Communications Manager, ESA anasilva@euroseeds.org Tel: +32 471 66 50 27 Anton van den Brink, Communication Adviser, FEFAC avandenbrink@fefac.eu Tel: +32 2 285 00 50 Mark Cryans, Head of Communications, Fertilizers Europe Mark.cryans@fertilizerseurope.com Tel: + 32 2 663 31 44 Mobile: + 32 474 88 58 86 Florence Ranson, Communications Director, FoodDrinkEurope f.ranson@fooddrinkeurope.eu Tel : +32 2 514 11 11 Clare Carlisle, Public Relations Manager, IFAH‐Europe c.carlisle@ifahsec.org Tel: +32 2 543 75 67