EU – Baltic States, Foodstuff, Forum, Latvia, Markets and Companies

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Viktors Makarovs directed attention to the private sector as "unexplored potential", which ensures 90% of jobs in developing countries. Private investments also channel significant amounts of funding into partner countries. The Minister's Advisor also noted that "we can achieve considerable results through cooperation and ethical business practices, even on a small scale, in partner countries."

Viktors Makarovs highlighted successful examples of private sector initiatives for reducing inequality presented at the conference on the role of women's economic empowerment in development cooperation, which was held within the Presidency framework. Mr Makarovs also outlined activities to be held in Latvia as part of the European Year for Development: discussions with business people in the regions on responsible business practices in commerce and industry, and the award of the Fair Trade Prize organised in association with the Employers' Confederation of Latvia, the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Institute for Corporative Sustainability and Responsibility.

Referring to the campaign on responsible food consumption launched in Latvia on 19 March, Viktors Makarovs invited the participants to jointly cooperate within the framework of the European Year for Development to promote sustainable production and consumption. He noted that the promotion of producer and consumer responsibility is to everybody's benefit and leaves positive impact on other seemingly unrelated areas.

The conference was held as part of the European Year for Development 2015. The aim of EYD2015 is to raise public awareness about the development cooperation policy of the EU and its member states as well as explaining benefits to all stakeholders.

Beside Viktors Makarovs, who represented the Latvian Presidency, the opening statements at the conference were delivered by Henri Malosse, President of the EESC, and Neven Mimica, European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development.

See further information about the European Year for Development in Latvia on the official website at: https://europa.eu/eyd2015/en.

The EESC is a consultative body of the European Union, bringing together the representatives of employers, employees and various interest groups from EU Member States.