Conseil Européen des Jeunes Agriculteurs
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The Conseil Européen des Jeunes Agriculteurs (CEJA) [European Council of Young Farmers] is an umbrella organisation gathering young farmers from all over Europe and is one of the key advocates for the agricultural sector in Europe. This non-profit organisation has, at present, 26 member organisations and one observer member from 21 different European countries, representing around one million young farmers. Its office is located in Brussels.
History
CEJA was founded in Rome, Italy in 1958. Through a series of bilateral contacts, organisations representing young farmers from the six initial members of the EEC set up a European organisation of young farmers in order to concentrate their action at the European level and to concretely participate in the realisation of European integration. To this end, a "Comité d’Entente" was set up, which was later renamed the "European Council of Young Farmers".[1]
Overview
CEJA does not defend nor depend on any political ideology and gathers a broad spectrum of young farmers and rural youth members. It is an international organisation governed by a General Assembly and a Presidium, CEJA’s main decision making bodies, as well as a Presidency which is made up of one President and four Vice-Presidents of different nationalities, elected for a two year term.
Apart from providing services to its members, CEJA stays in regular contact with young farmers’ organisations and agricultural institutions and associations throughout Europe and worldwide. CEJA also has strong links with different international youth organisations. At the Brussels level, partners include the MER (European Movement of Rural areas) and the Common Agricultural Policy NGO working group, where very different organisations from the agricultural, environmental, animal welfare and biodiversity sectors are represented. At the international level, the organisation works closely with IFAP, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization and Rural Youth Europe, for example.
CEJA’s main objectives according to their website are to ease the installation of young farmers in Europe, to inform, train and represent them, to act as a platform for communication between young farmers and to make European citizens aware of farming-related issues. CEJA maintains contact with European institutions, European decision-makers as well as organisations dealing with agriculture and takes part in 18 Agricultural Advisory Groups of the European Commission. [2]
CEJA acts as a forum for exchange and dialogue between young farmers and European decision makers. One of CEJA’s most important tasks is to explain the Common Agricultural Policy, its reforms and adjustments, and to show how the two pillars of the CAP assist young farmers in rural areas to manage the structural changes in Europe’s agricultural sector. The renewed CAP allows them to become more competitive and innovative for their own benefit as well as for the benefit of the consumer, the environment and their rural communities. Within CEJA, the different reforms and simplifications of the Common Market Organisations, for example concerning the fruit & vegetable sector, the wine sector or the future organisation and management of the dairy sector are being discussed. Farming subjects which are also covered include the EU strategy on bio-energies, young farmers’ opinions on the legislative proposals for phytosanitary products, WTO issues and free trade in agriculture as well as water management.
Seminars and Events
CEJA participates at events around Europe related to youth and agriculture. Every year it holds seminars in conjunction with other member organisations, the European Commission and national governments. For example the 1st NMC World Youth Forum in Bari, Italy in January 2010 or the European Congress of Young Farmers held in February 2010 in Seville, Spain an image of which can be seen here.
Member Organisations
As of 2009 CEJA has the following member organisations[3]
MACRA NA FEIRME (IRELAND)
CYPRUS YOUNG FARMERS ORGANISATION COUNCIL (CYFOC)
LANDJUGEND ÖSTERREICH - LJO
GROENE KRING
FEDERATION JEUNES AGRICULTEURS (FJA)
LANDBOUNGDOM
CENTRAL UNION OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS AND FOREST OWNERS (MTK)
JEUNES AGRICULTEURS
BUND DER DEUTSCHEN LANDJUGEND (BDL)
PANHELLENIC FEDERATION OF YOUNG FARMERS' ORGANIZATIONS (GESASE)
AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL YOUTH ASSOCIATION - AGRYA
ASSOCIAZIONE NAZIONALE GIOVANI AGRICOLTORI (ANGA)
ASSOCIAZIONE GIOVANI IMPRENDITORI AGRICOLI (AGIA)
MOVIMENTO GIOVANILE-CONFEDERAZIONE NAZIONALE COLDIRETTI (CNCD)
LËTZEBUERGER LANDJUGEND - LËTZEBUERGER JONGBAUEREN A JONGWË NZER (JB & JW)
CENTRALE PAYSANNE - Service jeunesse - Lëtzebuerger Bauerejugend
NEDERLANDS AGRARISCH JONGEREN KONTAKT (NAJK)
LANTBRUKARNAS RIKSFÖRBUND (LRF) FEDERATION OF SWEDISH FARMERS
ASSOCIAÇAO DOS JOVENS AGRICULTORES DE PORTUGAL (AJAP)
SCOTTISH ASSOCIATION OF YOUNG FARMERS'CLUBS (SAYFC)
JUVENTUDES AGRARIAS DE COAG
ASOCIACIÓN AGRARIA JÓVENES AGRICULTORES (ASAJA)
Związek Zawodowy Centrum Narodowe Młodych Rolników (ZZ CNMR)
POLISH RURAL YOUTH ORGANISATION
SLOVENIAN RURAL YOUTH ASSOCIATION (ZSPM)
YOUNG AGRARIAN SOCIETY OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC
LITHUANIAN YOUNG FARMERS CIRCLES UNION
Observer Members: ESTONIAN YOUNG FARMER ORGANISATION – MTÜ
References
- ^ "CEJA Homepage".
- ^ "CEJA About us".
- ^ "CEJA Member List" (PDF).