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At the last meeting it was agreed to create the possibility of a formal membership of the Groupe de Bruges. For € 50 per year members have full access to all information and activities. For more information contact the secretariat
International conference "the future of agriculture and rural areas in an enlarging Europe: dealing with diversity", October 16 2009, Tirana, Albania.
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Meetings of Groupe de Bruges
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Participation of the Groupe de Bruges at the 3rd China Europa Forum
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Latest publication of the Groupe de Bruges: The Dilemmas of globalisation
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New in the libary
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Following the conference on October 16, the Groupe de Bruges met on Saturday October 17. The preparation of the China Europa Forum (see below), the restructuration of the Groupe de Bruges itself and the progress of the various working groups were at the heart of the meeting.
download the report of the meeting
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Participation of the Groupe de Bruges at the 3rd China Europa Forum
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.
Originally the 3rd bi-annual Forum was to be held in China, but had to be postponed until July 2010 because of the outbreak of Mexican flu. 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). As an alternative for the Biennal meeting, a meeting of all workshop leaders was organised in Paris on 22 - 24 of July. Preceding this meeting the Groupe de Bruges organised a first preparatory workshop. At the beginning of december the delegation that will participate at the Forum in China in 2010 was formed.
>>>> download the report of the workshop
>>>> download information on the meeting of the workshop leaders in Paris
>>>> download the draft working plan
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The dilemmas of globalisation; towards a re-valuation of agriculture
In July 2008 the Groupe de Bruges finalised a new publication in which the focus was on the processes of globalisation and liberalisation in relationship to the role of agriculture. The book has gained momentum as the media report ever more frequently on the main issues connected to globalisation and liberalisation: the climate crisis, the energy crisis, the new emerging economic super powers and the rapidly rising food prices are on the front pages daily.
It is this turbulent setting that the Groupe de Bruges not only addresses the problems of today, but also those of tommorow, all of which seem to be connected in one way or another to globalisation on the one hand and agriculture on the other.
This new book offers a critical analysis of these developments as well as the role of Europe and its Common Agricultural Policy in a rapidly changing geo-political and global economical world. Based on this analysis it offers also some new perspectives to get the debate on globalisation and liberalisation back on the right track and simultaneously pleads for a fundamental reform of the CAP.
The book was presented on July 15 2008 during a Council meeting to the ministers of Agriculture of The Netherlands and France.
>>>> download the full version
>>>> download the extended summary
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For a full overview of our documentation visit our library
Groupe de Bruges
Independent think tank on European agriculture and rural development
Arie van den Brand
President of Groupe de Bruges
"European agriculture is questioned because it is no longer in sync with the current stakes: the consolidation of the European Union; the new expectations of society concerning environment, land management, quality of food or animal welfare; the construction of a multipolar world in which food security for all would be asserted as a fundamental value".
Financially supported by:
