Projects
'CAP, What's cooking?' Project
‘Can EU CAP it?’ E-learning platform
Implementation of the CAP survey
3rd European conference 'Territorial cooperation for the provision of public goods in the new CAP'
2nd European conference 'Territorial cooperation for the provision of public goods in the new CAP'
China Europa Forum 2010, T43 C, report European delegation
Current Projects:
'CAP, What's cooking?' Project
The October 2015 launch marked the start of a new Groupe de Bruges’ project to communicate the CAP 2014-2020 to the general public in a ‘digestible’ way. Following the Milan event, seven local events will be held in March and April 2016 on farms across the European Union. Each will host a one day programme of farm tours, cookery workshops by local chefs, CAP presentations by experts and stakeholders as well as lunch- and dinner-debates. More information can be found on www.capwhatscooking.eu.
'Can EU CAP it?' E-learning platform
We have developed a free, online e-learning platform www.caneucapit.eu that was officially launched on November 27, 2014.
For more information follow this link: http://groupedebruges.eu/cap-e-learning or visit www.caneucapit.eu website.
Recent projects:
Implementation of the CAP survey
Since the CAP Deal was struck in September 2014, three parallel processes have begun to come to the implementation of the CAP Reform:
- Elaboration of the technical details in the Delegated Acts
- Decision making process by Member States concerning the implementation of Pillar 1
- Writing of the Rural Development Programmes by Member States, either at national or regional level.
Concerning the second point we wrote in our reaction on the CAP Reform Agreement that 40+ smaller and larger items have been left to the Member States, for example transfer of funds between First and Second Pillar, support for small farmers and young farmers.
We are now keeping track on the way the Member States are deciding on these issues. For this we have developed a survey. The survey also contains an annex where additional background information can be found. We invite all experts to share their information on the implementation of Pillar 1 in your Member State.
Additional information can be posted and found on our open LinkedIn Group. This is also the platform where you can engage in the debate on the implementation of the CAP Reform.
For a number of Member States you can find information on the state of affairs concerning the implementation of Pillar 1 HERE.
3rd European conference 'Territorial cooperation for the provision of public goods in the new CAP
On 1st December 2014 the Groupe de Bruges organised another successful meeting on the topic of ´territorial cooperation for the provision of public goods in the context of the new CAP´. Following two earlier conferences a common manifesto and work programme have been finalised and discussed with all participants. Also, a Steering Group has been formed, representing a wide diversity in types of bottom up approaches from across Europe. The Steering Group will be responsible for the further development of a European network of these initiatives. Some 35 people, representing a wide range of stakeholders, were present as the Steering Group presented its first results and ambitions for the future during a meeting on December 1, 2014 at the EESC in Brussels.
You can download all the documentation of the conference here.
2nd European conference 'Territorial cooperation for the provision of public goods in the new CAP
Following the success first conference held in France in December 2013, a follow up meeting was held from April 23 to 25 in the small town of Aldtsjerk, The Netherlands. Some 70 participants from 12 countries convened to discuss the topic and the ambition to come to a European multi stakeholder platform to bring together bottom up experiences of territorial cooperation that are engaged in the management of public goods or eco-system services, such as biodiversity and landscape management, water management, agro-ecology, etc. The programme consisted of various plenary sessions, four workshops as well as field visits in the area. David Baldock, director of the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) in his key note speech stressed the need for flexibility for farmers engaged in these territorial initiatives in the implementation of the EU rules to be able achieve real delivery in environmental terms. He warns: "as the current system of controls is rules driven rather than goals driven, I fear that these collaborative initiatives might suffer penalties".
One of the highlights on the Friday session was a video message from Dacian Ciolos, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development.
The lively debates led Arie van den Brand, president of the Groupe de Bruges and chairman of the conference, to the conclusion that we are dealing with a new and important European movement, which should also be heard at the European level. Building on the results of the first two meetings, a third meeting is currently being prepared to be held in the autumn of this year in Brussels. The aim is to establish a more formal network, with a shared programme and to present a common manifesto the European institutions and NGO's.
1st European conference on territorial cooperation for the provision of public goods in the new CAP
On December 20 and 21 2013 the Groupe de Bruges organised the first European conference on `Territorial cooperation for the provision of public goods in the context of the CAP Reform´ at La Bergerie de Villarceaux Ecocentre, France. Some 50 participants from 10 countries discussed the needs and possibilities to come to closer collaboration at the European level between grass roots initiatives of groups of farmers, researchers and policy makers to increase the effectiveness of biodiversity management and agro-ecological practices through territorial cooperation. Based on the results of the first conference, a second one will be held from April 23 - 25 2014 in The Netherlands.
China Europa Forum 2010, T43 C, report European delegation
Since 2005 the French Fondation Leopold Mayer pour le Progrès de l'Homme (FPH) is organising with its Chinese partners the China Europa Forum, a platform for NGO's, universities and citizens aimed at improving the mutual understanding between these two major players in the world. For this the Fondation China Europa Forum was set up.
The FPH has asked the Groupe de Bruges to be the European partner to organise one of the workshops, entitled 'What agricultural policies? What contribution of China and Europe in a global agricultural policy?' (workshop number T43C). A delegation of five Groupe de Bruges members took part at the workshop, that was held in Beijing on 8 and 9 July this year, and at the plenary session that were organised by the Polytechnic University in Hong Kong.
