London, June 3 - The European Union needs to reform its Common Agricultural Policy and suspend a range of food import tariffs to help to bring soaring food prices down, UK Treasury minister Yvette Cooper said on Tuesday.
"The CAP is costing consumers over 40 billion euros ($62.39 billion). I do not see how Europe can justify keeping EU prices so much higher than world market levels at a time when people across Europe are really feeling the pinch," Cooper said in a statement after attending a meeting of EU finance ministers in Luxembourg.
"It would not be fair, particularly to poor families, to walk away from this issue. We need serious reform around both import tariffs and direct payments."
She said that while the EU had agreed to suspend import duties on cereals, a wider range of products now needed to be included.
Her comments came as the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) held a summit on the global food crisis in Rome. Its head also blamed farm subsidies as being part of the reason for high prices.
"This is clearly an international issue, and we will need international solutions. Europe needs to do its bit to help draw up an international strategy and to get an ambitious international trade deal concluded as soon as possible in the Doha development round," Cooper said.
Countries are working on proposals at the World Trade Organisation to cut tariffs and subsidies in agriculture as part of a global trade deal.