The 21st Brussels Policy Development Briefing will be on 'Geopolitics of Food' and will take place on the 2nd of February 2010 (8h30-13h00).Feeding the world is not anymore just a question of increasing agricultural production and trade but a political question. In a globalised world, the complexity of issues involved in the global food system is increasing, the linkages between sectors influencing and being influenced by agriculture and the relations amongst actors are becoming key. The food, fuel and financial crisis, the effects of climate change and global policies have and will have an impact on the food production and future type of agriculture. In this changing context, what are the consequences for the ACP agriculture and what future for the most vulnerable farmers? What new policies and what global aid architecture would be needed?
For more information please contact: boto@cta.int or lopes@cta.int 

European External Action Service
-1st January: Starting of the European External Action Service
Council of the European Union (Brussels):
-7th January: Coreper I
EU presidency
-1st January: Hungary takes over the EU presidency
 European Commission (Brussels):
- 7th January: European Commission meets Hungarian Presidency
European Union
-1st January: Introduction of the Euro in Estonia
-8th January: Official Launch of the European Year of Volunteering

For more information please consult the calendar on our webpage http://brussels.cta.int  

Estonia switched smoothly to the euro on 1 January, brushing off worries about a crisis in the currency club which is likely to put off bigger eastern European nations from joining for up to a decade formance of conventional fuel engines, including 'cold startability' capabilities. The Baltic state of 1.3 million became the 17th eurozone country at midnight on the New Year and was the first former Soviet state to adopt the euro, capping 20 years of integration with the West.

The government of Belize will benefit from grants valued at close to 24.9 million euros or BZ$62.3 million to assist with projects geared towards rural development, poverty reduction and the sugar sector.Three financing agreements were signed by Prime Minister of Belize Dean Barrow and Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Jamaica, Belize, The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Cayman Islands, Ambassador-Marco Mazzocchi Elemanni.

 Antigua & Barbuda is to receive funds to deal with the effects of the world economic crisis. The European Union has disbursed a 9 million euros grant (EC $33.6M; BBD $25M) which was approved last month under the EU’s vulnerability assistance scheme to help African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. “This grant is proof that the EU is delivering on its promises and is supporting its partners in times of need,” said Minister of Finance Lovell during the 2011 Budget Statement.