Preserving our natural environment

Today, European citizens are demanding safe food and quality products, without creating unnecessary waste, and a healthy environment. In our seas, declining fish stocks, we confront the challenges. Funds for the preservation of our natural environment cover a wide range of programs. They argue, for example, the establishment of rural economies competitive and successful, the fisheries sector, which must adapt to the depletion of fish stocks and environmental programs. These programs encourage environmental consideration of the environment in all projects and policies complement the investment in the environment in other areas, such as regional policy and cohesion, agriculture and rural development, fisheries, external relations, civil protection and research.

Most funds for the preservation of our natural environment go to farmers, partly because the common agricultural policy is the most integrated of all Community policies and one of the oldest and, secondly, because that farmers play a fundamental role in the supply of basic foodstuffs and the maintenance of the landscape as we know it. However, the common agricultural policy is now very different from the image that many have kept it as a source of surplus independent of the application or a way to import food at lower cost. Ongoing reforms will ensure a more balanced approach, allowing more room for safety and quality of food, animal welfare and needs of the rural community as a whole.