Last week we briefly Nibbled the Seeds for a Sustainable Future conference organised by European Greens and held yesterday. Despite the very short notice, an agrobiodiverse mole tunnelled her way into the proceedings and sent back a report.
Claudia Olazabal, Head of Biodiversity, which comes under the Nature Conservation & Biodiversity Unit at DG ENVI, asked “Is agricultural biodiversity part of the equation?” in her presentation on diversity of genetic resources in the context of international commitments and the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy. During which presentation, she referred to Action 10, that “The Commission and Member States will encourage the uptake of agri-environmental measures to support genetic diversity in agriculture and explore the scope for developing a strategy for the conservation of genetic diversity.”
A questioner managed to ask: Hadn’t the Commission been working on just such a strategy since 1994? ((I certainly remember giving evidence back then. Ed.))
To which Mrs Olabazal extemporized thusly:
“There are lots of different actors in the Commission who work on agricultural genetic diversity – Directorate General for Environment, Directorate General for Agriculture, Directorate General for Research … we need to coordinate … “
Ah yes. A need to coordinate across Europe’s complex network of interests. It wasn’t like that in 1994, when everything was at least under one roof. But then again, maybe that’s why there still isn’t really a strategy for the conservation of genetic diversity …
Alas, I think you’ve missed your chance to tell the EU what you think of its “Options and analysis of possible scenarios for the review of the European Union legislation on the marketing of seed and plant propagating material”.
I hope this does not appear impertinent, but what does “explore the scope for developing a strategy” actually mean?
Excellent question, and not at all impertinent. Perhaps Mrs Olabazal will be along to explain.
Maybe “I will explore the scope for developing a strategy for … washing the dishes” is how every eurocrat replies when her partner asks for help with the housework.
No, but seriously – J Cherfas is absolutely right; Europe really doesnt have any strategy for the conservation of genetic diversity.
It is high time that the Commission stopped worrying about its own internal cuisine, and concentrated instead on problems in the real world.
The Commission could start with its very own “Study of desirable developments in the conservation, characterization, collection and utilization of genetic resources in the Member States”.
Most of those “desirable developments” are still unfulfilled, fifteen years after the Commission’s Study was published.
Richard H.
Alas, I think you’ve missed your chance to tell the EU what you think of its “Options and analysis of possible scenarios for the review of the European Union legislation on the marketing of seed and plant propagating material”.
Perhaps not. Even though May 30 has come and gone, as of June 1, the door might still be open.