EU is committed to a strong relationship on agriculture with the ACP countries
"I am committed to a strong relationship between the European Union and ACP countries", stated Commissioner Dacian Cioloş at the 25th ACP-EU joint Parliamentary Assembly.
During a debate on food security and climate change with representatives of ACP countries (Africa, Caribbean and Pacific) at the European Parliament, the Commissioner underlined the strong trade partnership between the two blocs – the European Union counting for 71% of agricultural exports of developing countries, more than the United States, Canada, Japan, New-Zealand and Australia altogether.
"This is a very concrete aspect of the development policy of the EU", said Dacian Cioloş.
Commissioner Cioloş insisted on the need to invest in the long term in the agricultural sector, to support local projects and to put farmers - and family farms in particular - at the heart of the development policy, underlining that agriculture, together with energy, is top priority for the development agenda of the European Union. "Increasing the added value at local level and local expertise, strengthening producers organisations, all these will allow us to fight malnutrition and poverty", he commented, expressing his hope that "2014 the international year dedicated to family farming by the United Nations will help raising the awareness on this key challenge".
Dacian Cioloş also explained the key orientations of the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union for which the negotiations enter in a decisive phase with the European Parliament as a key player.
