The future of Europe lies in preserving its agricultural and other key sectors
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Economie Matin | 29 March 2016
Translated by Anoosha Boralessa (30 March 2016). Not reviewed by bilaterals.org or any other organization or person.
The future of Europe lies in preserving its agricultural and other key sectors
Author: Alexis Pinon
Europe has all the assets needed to build a solid future for itself. However, to do so, it must take steps to defend and promote them.
The agricultural crisis currently before us is only the buried face of a growing political disinterest that is now striking Europe. Today, the agricultural sector is subject to demobilization from political organs even though it is a vital strategic sector, as important as energy or even Big Data. These sectors need particularly thoughtful and nuanced long-term management, but it would appear that political decision-makers are still not aware of this.
We cannot go forward without being aware of the need to defend our strategic sectors. The future place that an actor will occupy on the international scene, depends on its skill at taking full stock today, of the challenges related to the different particularities of these key sectors. The United States or China have understood this well; this is in stark contrast to the European Union. The situation that the farmers are currently experiencing is shocking. Different political decision-makers are still in denial of their strategic importance at the European and global level and of the need to protect them.
Abandoning our agriculture would lead to disastrous consequences at several levels; it would also lead to a deterioration of the lifestyle we currently know. The European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan, is not concerned with this question and continues to lead European agriculture towards a strategic void that will be steep in its consequences for the people of Europe.
Now, in the middle of negotiating TAFTA (TTIP), we must hit the hot issues to preserve the future of the European Union. If we aspire to construct a Europe that is strong and independent, it is essential to protect our key sectors such as energy, agriculture, or even Big Data, with firm decisions that are context specific.
Europe has precious resources that require both particular attention and strategic vision. It is time «to arrive at developing a collective conscience both at the level of the European population as well as European political decision-makers», as the Initiative de Défense de l’Économie européenne (IDÉE) recommends.
