CAP reform needs 'injection of common sense'

The greening of the single farm payment scheme must have some “common sense” injected into it, the NFU has told the EU’s leading policy makers.

NFU deputy president Meurig Raymond told MEP’s in charge of reviewing the EU Commission’s CAP proposals in Strasbourg that British farms are already becoming greener.

He warned MEPs, including Agriculture Committee Chairman Paolo De Castro and lead rapporteur on CAP, Portuguese MEP Luis Manuel Capoulas Santos against policies that could harm production and competitiveness.

“Because MEPs are in charge of amending Commission proposals they have a wonderful opportunity to simplify the policy, to make it more market orientated and to help farmers become more competitive,” he said.

“The Commission’s Impact Assessment indicated greening will result in a 4.8 per cent cut in farm incomes and could push food prices higher through supply-side pressures. This is unacceptable, but the problems don’t stop there."

“We fear greening could also undermine the Commission’s environmental goals by discouraging farmers from entering into environmental schemes in Pillar 2. Currently 68 per cent of English farmland is managed in optional agri-environment schemes.

“We are encouraging MEPs to recognise the efforts that many farmers are already making in delivering environmental benefits through the CAP. If Pillar 1 greening measures cannot be deleted from the text, we have told MEPs they must be common at a European level, maintain our productive capacity and minimise cost and bureaucracy.”

The NFU has said it now believes this is a crucial time to lobby MEPs.

Raymond added: “Over the next six months MEPs will write amendments to improve key areas of the regulation such as on greening. This is our chance to inject some common sense into CAP reform.”