Minister hails talks for a fairer farming policy

ENVIRONMENT Secretary Owen Paterson claims the UK has played an influential role to keep the Common Agricultural Policy on its path of reform.

MEPs took part in an historic vote last week to agree a mandate on what the new EU farming policy should deliver ahead of negotiations with the European Commission and the EU’s Agriculture Council.

A week on from the vote in Strasbourg and Mr Paterson says talks held by the Agriculture Council since then, a body of which he is a member, have provided reassurance that each of the four UK countries can continue to implement the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) regionally.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said: “A one size fits all approach to CAP just doesn’t work. England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales must be allowed the freedom to deliver outcomes tailored to their own circumstances.

“Working with all the Devolved Administrations and ensuring we spoke with one voice as part of these negotiations has been essential. I am delighted that we have successfully secured key changes to address concerns for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales on issues such as internal convergence and Areas of Natural Constraint. We will continue to represent the interests of the whole of the UK throughout discussions with European Parliament.”

There has been concern from lobbyists over what environmental measures farmers will have to meet to receive vital EU subsidy payments under the revised farming policy.

But Mr Paterson claims the Agriculture Council has agreed to his appeal for the UK to have freedom to design its own ‘greening’ measures that will benefit the environment and UK farming.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said: “The EU requires all farmers to deliver environmental benefits for 30 per cent of their Pillar One CAP payments. The system that emerged from reforms under the previous Government was far too complex and the UK ended up being fined 550 million euros for not sticking to the rules. I’ve been clear that this must not happen again.

“The UK should have the freedom to have a simple, easy-to-manage system that builds on our well-established arrangements. We’re now one very important step closer to being able to set our own greening measures, which work for farmers and use taxpayers’ money more effectively to deliver real environmental benefits.”

Other headlines to emerge from the ongoing CAP talks was a commitment by the Agriculture Council to end sugar beet quotas in 2017 rather than extend them for an additional three years.

The Council also concluded that coupled payments, the proportion of CAP subsidies linked to production, should increase.

What happens next...

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The final shape of the new EU farm policy will be decided by the European Parliament, EU farm ministers and the European Commission, in three-way negotiations set to begin on April 11.

This is the first reform of the policy where the European Parliament acts as co-legislator on an equal footing with the Council.

Paolo De Castro, chairman of the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee, said he welcomed the position of EU agriculture ministers and real negotiations on the future shape of the CAP could now start.

Related topics: