Joint Declaration
of the “CEI Ministerial Meeting: Green Growth – with focus on Rural
Development”
Under the Hungarian Presidency of the Central European Initiative the Ministers responsible
for agriculture and the environment in the CEI countries met in Budapest, Hungary, on 1516th April, 2013, to discuss current issues in three interrelated areas:
Sustainable
Agriculture; Food Security and Food Safety; Liveable Environment.
Bearing
in
mind
the
importance
of
green
growth
and
rural
development
as common goals of the CEI countries, and emphasizing their readiness to contribute to the
sustainable development of the European Region,
The Ministers responsible for agriculture and the environment of the CEI Countries:
1. Agree that the economic, environmental and social dimensions of sustainability must
appear in policies and everyday practice and must prevail in the whole of agricultural
production and food economy.
2. Emphasize that the theoretical approach and practical implementation of sustainability
must build on the balance of economic, environmental and social aspects. The
promotion of synergies between all three aspects and consideration of environmental
challenges create opportunities for the advancement of our economies and societies.
This also means that responsibility should be shared evenly and fairly in both the
temporal and the geographical scope between generations of producers and consumers
globally.
3. Agree to cooperate in the field of research on sustainable agriculture and food
production, and share their knowledge for a common benefit, in order to consistently
and synergistically answer the challenges in a resource efficient way.
4. Acknowledge that food production and food processing are of significant importance
in Central-Europe, as well as the role and contribution of all producers, including
small holders, as a basis for supplying sufficient quantity of safe food to the
population.
5. Stress that it is vital to encourage sustainable food production and consumption for the
optimal utilisation of scarce natural resources. In view of helping this process the CEI
countries agree to cooperate in collecting good practices in this field in order to create
and share the collective knowledge base.
6. Regarding food quality, it is a priority to increase the share of food products with high
added value and improve their market potential through shorter food supply chains
with due consideration to organic food and green public procurement.
7. Express the importance of local knowledge and wisdom rooted in the long-standing
traditions and experiences of local communities together with their creativity and
implementation of innovations, as important contributions to overall sustainable
development.
8. Agree that local production is crucial for securing food and nutrition for all and also as
a contribution to the development of a green economy including sustainable food
system. It can especially support local farmers, and revitalize rural life. In this regard,
the protection of products with Geographical Indications and other labels of special
quality linked to geographical origin can play a very positive role. The consumption of
local products means reduced transportation needs, lower energy use and costs and
pollution, therefore also essential to promote new consumption patterns.
9. Emphasize that biodiversity, including agro-biodiversity, underpins life of our planet,
enabling food production and delivering other ecosystem services like fresh water,
crop pollination and recreational benefits. Rural development can be achieved only by
maintaining the provision of such services and by protection of species and habitats
depending on or affected by agriculture.
10. Emphasize the role of advanced biofuels for the development of a bio-based economy
and the promotion of activities of the CEI in this respect.
11. Emphasize that the development of carbon-alternative technologies, based on local
energy sources (such as geothermal, solar, wind, hydro and biomass) are not only
important to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it also may create economic
opportunities for CEI countries. The introduction of local, small-scale alternative
renewable energy generation technologies contribute to energy independence both on
the regional and country levels.
12. Acknowledge that Green Economy has large climate change mitigation potential.
Resource (water, energy, etc.) saving technologies and climate change adaptive
measures have to be developed and disseminated. Afforestation, soil carbon
sequestration technologies should be rewarded.
13. Stress that capacity building at every level is crucial to disseminate knowledge about
sustainable use of resources and sustainable lifestyles in general. Education for
sustainable development including life-long learning should become part the general,
specialized and professional curriculum.
14. Highlight that unsustainable practices such as over-consumption of natural resources,
environmental pollution and degradation of natural habitats jeopardize the life quality
of present and future generations. Every individual has a moral obligation to make
conscious choices at every decision, to ensure a livable environment, a safe and sound
common future.
Adopted in Budapest, 16th April 2013.