The Future of the European Green Deal: Balancing Ecological and Social Equity. Dialogue between Civil Society and Representatives of European Institutions
“No Green Deal without a social deal” has emerged as a central theme in some of the most fervent debates in Brussels recently. The transition to a low-emission economy has sparked significant social tensions that urgently need addressing. In this context, CRPE joined forces with several NGOs (Center for the Study of Democracy, Bankwatch and Natura 2000 Coalition) and co-organized a discussion involving members of the European Parliament, current candidates, and over 20 NGOs with expertise in agriculture, energy and climate, and biodiversity.
The event took place in Bucharest, on May, 29, ahead of the EU elections of 6-9 June 2024.
The future of agriculture and the impact on our communities
CRPE organized and moderated the agriculture panel, which generated excellent ideas that we believe should be incorporated into the EU and member states’ efforts to recalibrate the implementation of the current Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the vision for the future of European food systems. Key points included:
- The necessity for a common food policy, not just an agricultural one. We need answers to questions about what we want to eat, at what quality, and in what quantity. The entire food chain – from farmer to processor to transporter – must be held accountable for sustainability.
- The need to reform not just the CAP, but to rethink the entire European system of public support for agriculture, natural resources, and health. Agricultural policy must be integrated with trade policy within the European Union.
- Incentive measures for farmers are likely to work better than constraints in the environmental and climate fields. More eco-schemes and fewer eco-conditionalities
Agriculture and urban areas
Urban agriculture is becoming more and more present in our quest to promote local organic food and sustainable consumption practices. Numerous initiatives across the EU, ranging from Portugal to Belgium, are promoting urban community gardens and locally-grown organic food, while advocate for more education and sustainable practices. Urban agriculture sites can revitalize neighborhoods, becoming social hubs for people from diverse backgrounds.
In Romania, few such initiatives are promoted by our municipalities. An overview made by the Romanian Center for European Policies on Romania’s major cities planned investments for 2023-2030 shows very limited initiatives in the field, despite the urgency of the moment.
Similar events were organized by CRPE:
Bucharest – European Green Capital?
Ramnicu-Valcea: the road to sustainability
Fighting the climate crisis: Listening to Europe’s youth.
The panel moderated and organized by CRPE is part of the Green rights for a sustainable future: Enhancing citizens’ involvement in EU’s climate ambitions (Green-Rights) project. Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
