Support to the systems of the South Eastern European countries and their complementarities with the EU Common Agricultural Policy, as well as the influence of the global economic crisis on the investments and food production in the South Eastern Europe countries, were the topics on the Agenda which gathered Ministers of Agriculture from South Eastern European countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYR Macedonia, Republic of Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania) as well as representatives of the European Commission, SEE Working Group for Regional Rural Development, Food And Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and GTZ at the 9th Agricultural Policy Forum, held on 8 and 9 October 2009 in Jahorina.
The following conclusions were adopted at the Working groups:
– The global economic crisis influenced the investments in the agriculture and food production sectors in the South Eastern Europe countries, – it is necessary to strenghten rural areas, – integration into the European Union is necessary, but regional cooperation is as important, – it is necessary to institutionalise the Working group for Rural and Agricultural Development.
John Bensted-Smith, Director of the Department for International Affairs, in particular Enlargement within the Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development, spoke of the “influence of the global economic crisis on the agriculture and food production in Europe“. He emphasised that the agriculture was not immune to the crisis and spoke of the consuequences which were mostly evident in the export of certain products, in the production of certain agricultural products which led to the reduction of prices of other products as a result of the change in demand on the market but also as a result of the fuel price increase.
„However, regardless of such a dark picture I am an optimist as our mid-term chances look good“, stated Mr Bensted-Smith. Speaking of the region and impact of the crisis on the regional progress towards the EU, Mr Bensted-Smith emphasised that the crisis does not influence the possibilities for fulfilling the conditions for joining the EU. „What should be used as merit is the fullfilment of the conditions – to what extent has each country fulfilled its requirements in the European integration process “.
„The European Commission is your partner in the European integration process and progress in that process was made “, stated Kay Mortensen, Head of Department for Preaccession Funds within the Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development, but he emphasised several key issues: it is important to understand that the enlargement process entails the adjustment to the EU legislation, constant efforts and concensus in the Parliament are required when it comes to the Road Map, necessity for coordination between all the ministries which often lacks due to political reasons and it is necessary to ensure educated and capable human resources in the administration, who will be able to establish a close cooperation with the European Commission. „European Commission will do everything in its power. But it is the countries themselves which determine the intensity and method for making progress “ – stated Mr Mortensen.
Mladen Zirojević, BiH Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, spoke of the necessity to harmonise national legislations of the South Eastern Europe countries with the EU legislation. He presented information related to the progress made in the area of agriculture and rural development in BiH and emphasised that the agriculture in Bosnia and Herzegovina was at a turning point. As a necessity, he emphasised “the need to increase the inter-entity and regional cooperation, create preconditions for larger assistance to the farmers and taking necessary actions for the increased export of products from SEE countries to the European market”.
Mr Bruno Chauvin, Deputy Head of Department for Direct Support within the Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development, emphasised an even more important component: „the allocation and spending of the funds on the objectives for which the funds were foreseen “. In order to illustrate it, he gave an example of the common agricultural policy and the assessment of the EC Audit team on the expenditure of agricultural funds.
At the Forum, which included speakers from the Food and Agriculture Organisation, international and BiH experts in agriculture and rural development, a proposal for BiH to take over the presiding over the SEE Standing Working Group for Regional Rural Development Assembly was adopted. Taking over of the duty from the current presiding country Montenegro will be done on 1 December 2009.
