Minister in fight for ‘green’ concessions

During a meeting in Brussels of EU agricultural ministers, the UK’s farming Minister Jim Paice welcomed the EC’s recent compromises on its plans to place more environmental demands upon farmers in order for them to qualify for subsidy payments.

This follows a significant number of member states, including the UK, Germany, France and Italy, having voiced concern at the so-called ‘one size fits all’ policy change proposals – something said by many UK farming leaders to be unworkable.

Speaking from Brussels, Mr Paice told the Yorkshire Post that there appeared to be a growing sense among the EC that it would compromise on diversifying crops and retaining permanent pasture – an issue of particular significance to Yorkshire.

And he said that agricultural commissioner for the EC, Dacian Ciolos, seemed to accept that the policy needed to be more flexible and was moving away from a ‘one size fits all’ approach.

If successful the lobbying could mean UK farmers in schemes like Entry-Level Stewardship are exempt from the shake-up.

“I think Mr Ciolos is well aware of what we are doing in England and elsewhere in the UK. The message we are trying to get across is that there has to be environmental equivalence among member states.”

The commission plans to introduce environmental requirements on farms has caused some consternation, particularly as to how it will affect farmers’ bottom lines.

However, earlier in the month the EC agreed that farmers who are already members of certain agri-environment schemes could be exempt from at least some of its proposed greening measures.

A statement from the National Farmers’ Union read: “It is clear that while they believe negotiations are now heading in a more acceptable direction, many agree with the NFU that there is still a very long way to go before the commission’s proposals for greening direct payments are workable and acceptable.”

European-wide farmers union Copa-Cogeca welcomed the talks among agricultural ministers, saying their views “are very much in line with our demands”.

Copa-Cogeca said it wants the CAP to focus on measures which ensure green growth, benefit the environment and at the same time maintain agricultural production capacity.

“This is crucial in view of the current economic crisis, diminishing resources and rising world food demand,” a spokesman for the union said.

However, Mr Ciolos has intimated that member states may face a battle if they want to force further concessions.

[email protected]