Access to land for farmers in the EU

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MORNING SESSION

AFTERNOON SESSION

CONFERENCE OUTLINE

In Europe, land speculation and land concentration are an increasing threat to small and medium sized family farms and new entrants. Soaring land prices make it increasingly difficult for farmers to have access to land. In the meantime, investors are buying up enormous pieces of land, sometimes using legal loopholes. Land is increasingly becoming a globally tradable commodity and an object of financial speculation. Examples such as Scotland and Andalusia, where arable land, pastures and forests are highly concentrated since centuries, show the negative effects for sustainable rural development and societies as a whole. This event brings together farmers, NGOs, researchers, politicians and regulatory bodies from different European countries to analyse the situation and discuss possible solutions.
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CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

Facilitator: Benny Haerlin (author of the study “Land Rush - The Sellout of Europe’s Farmland”)

8:30
Registration - Room VMA3 at the European Economic and Social Committee, Rue Van Maerlant 2

9:00
Opening words

Mr Brendan Burns, President of the Section Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment (NAT) at the European Economic and Social Committee
Ms Maria Heubuch, MEP Greens/EFA, Germany

9:15
1st panel - Introduction & analysis of the current situation Why is European farm land coming under increasing pressure? What does land concentration and management of land by shareholder companies mean for farmers, our society and the environment? What are the advantages of safeguarding small and medium sized family farms with strong local ties? Opening remarks by Mr Bronis Ropė, MEP Greens/EFA

Discussion Final remarks by Mr Florent Marcellesi, MEP Greens/EFA 10:45
Coffee break 11:15
2nd panel - Discussion of possible solutions at national/regional level Why are some legal frameworks more able to deliver than others to ensure farmers’ access to land? How can they be improved and adapted to new challenges? What are best practices to learn from at the legal and institutional levels? Opening remarks by Mr Martin Häusling, MEP Greens/EFA

Discussion Final remarks by Ms Molly Scott Cato, MEP Greens/EFA 13:00
Lunch break 14:00
Coffee break - Room A1G3 at the European Parliament, Rue Wiertz 60 15:00
3rd panel - Discussion of possible solutions at EU level How can the European Union contribute to provide a better framework ensuring farmers’ access to land and to stop unhealthy land concentration? Opening remarks by Mr José Bové, MEP Greens/EFA

Mr Robert Levesque, European Association for rural development institutions (AEIAR), Belgium
Mr Mustapha Sinaceur, FAO
Ms Maria Noichl, MEP and rapporteur for the European Parliament’s report on access to land and concentration of land in the EU, Germany
Mr Kaul Nurm, former EESC rapporteur on “Land Grabbing - a wake-up call for Europe”, Estonia
Presentation by Thomas Wiedmann, DG FISMA, EU Commission (adapted for web publishing)
Mr Adam Payne, farmer and member of the coordinating committee of the European Coordination Via Campesina, England

Discussion 16:50
Final remarks and conclusion by Mr Bart Staes, MEP Greens/EFA

17:00
End of conference
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CONFERENCE ORGANISATION
The European Economic and Social Committee, the Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament and the European Coordination Via Campesina are co-organisers of the conference. The conference will be interpreted in English, German, French, Spanish, Lithuanian and Dutch. Map of the two conference venues in Brussels