Press Release
22/04/2008Food prices: Transform agriculture to guarantee supply. Joseph Daul MEP, Chairman of the EPP-ED Group in the European Parliament
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"The EPP-ED Group is extremely concerned by the phenomenon of food shortage which is affecting several poor countries in the world, and also by the significant rise in food prices for European consumers. This food crisis calls firstly for emergency measures to respond to people who are hungry", said Chairman Daul, underlining that the agricultural sector must undergo more in-depth reforms to resolve the crisis in a sustainable manner.
"The emergency measures will only be a temporary solution to the problem. Agriculture, the world over, must be subject to in-depth, structural reforms. We have to promote agricultural development, also in emerging economies, because the main challenge is that of food self-sufficiency for poor countries."
According to the Chairman of the most influential group in the European Parliament, the CAP health check is the perfect opportunity to launch the debate on agriculture and food policy in Europe, even if solutions have to be found worldwide:
"The solution to the food problem can only be seen as a global responsibility; Europe must find solutions in close cooperation with international bodies such as the World Bank, the IMF and, of course, the WTO. We must also find a way to limit the adverse effects of the financial speculation while people are starving and certain countries boast large reserves, all the while still limiting exports. Global speculators are playing with people's lives - we must do everything in our power to break these trends and make the market more transparent", concluded Daul.
For further information:
Joseph Daul MEP, Tel: +33-3-88175525
Antoine Ripoll, Chairman's Spokesman, Tel: +32-475-856290
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