WRITTEN QUESTION E-1197/00

by Margrietus van den Berg (PSE) to the Commission

(12 April 2000)

Subject: The Consultative Group on International Research

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), established in 1971, is an informal association of fifty-eight public and private sector members that supports a network of sixteen international agricultural research centres. CGIAR's mission is to contribute to food security and poverty eradication in developing countries through research, partnership, capacity building, and policy support. The CGIAR promotes sustainable agricultural development based on the environmentally sound management of natural resources. The European Commission has been an important long-term provider of financial support to the CGIAR but that funding was suspended in 1999 and the Commission is at present engaged in a review of its future funding support for the CGIAR.

Taking into account this review:

1. Does the Commission recognise the valuable contributions that the international research centres, supported by the Consultative Group on International Research, have made to averting famine and improving rural livelihoods in less developed countries?

2. Is the Commission aware of a recent review of the CGIAR by a distinguished international panel, under the chairmanship of the President of the Earth Council, Maurice Strong, that concluded that the CGIAR represented the best investment in development assistance bar none?

3. Is the Commission aware that CGIAR is in the process of redefining its programmes to focus more directly on the agricultural and natural resource research needs of the poorest of the poor?

4. Is the Commission aware that the on-the-ground presence of CGIAR scientists in developing countries working in partnership with local scientists gives the CGIAR a unique capacity to provide research support to national research systems and the farmers who depend upon them?

5. Is the Commission aware of the increased commitment of the CGIAR to work on fisheries, livestock, forestry and agroforestry, all of which are areas with great potential benefits for poor people and their environments?

If the Commission is aware of all these facts is the Commission willing to:

6. Fully recognise the unique and invaluable role of the CGIAR in addressing EU development assistance priorities of poverty reduction, better food security and environmental protection in developing countries?

7. Inform the European Parliament when and by what means funding of CGIAR Centres will be resumed?

8. Examine the possibility of increasing the level of this support and ensuring that commitments are made on a multi-year basis?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(3 July 2000)

The Commission is a long-standing partner and donor of the Consultative group on international agricultural research (CGIAR) and is actively involved in the development of the system. It is therefore naturally aware of both the CGIAR's contribution to agricultural research and the recent developments to which the Honourable Member refers.

Due to its outstanding contribution in support of the basic development objectives (poverty alleviation, food security and sustainable natural resources management), the Commission considers investment in the CGIAR as highly profitable.

While the Commission recognises the important contribution of the CGIAR system in addressing key development objectives, it nevertheless would wish the CGIAR to make progress in the formulation of the system's broad vision for the period 2005-2010 and the design of structural changes and new partnerships to adapt to a rapidly changing environment.

The Commission, meanwhile, is in the process of defining a coherent strategy in support of agricultural research, taking into account the comparative advantages of the various players, including the CGIAR.

A financing proposal for a three year programme in support of the CGIAR is currently under appraisal. The financial envelope for the first year (2000) amounts to 20 million.

There is no intention, at this stage, to increase the present funding level. In fact, the Commission plans to maintain the current focus on the CGIAR system with regard to the global level. At the same time the Commission puts a lot of emphasis at the regional and sub-regional levels (where it will continue to assist the national research systems and their regional bodies through regional collaborative research programmes. This second focus proves to be very effective in forging partnerships between the CGIAR and regions.