European Commission proposals for reforming the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) include a plan to dedicate 30 per cent of direct farm payments to “green” measures. Controversially, it would only be paid to farmers who leave at least seven per cent of their land fallow - something the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) and National Farmers Union (NFU) pledged to fight.
In a joint statement they called for the percentage of land to be significantly reduced: “We will also insist that any greening measures do not have perverse consequences from a market or agronomic point of view.”
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) also criticised the proposals, saying they let down wildlife and farmers who manage land for birds and wildlife.
Gareth Morgan, RSPB head of countryside conservation, said the proposals contained less support for targeted environmental measures on farms.
He said: “Brussels’ plans to cut cash for environmental farming schemes in the UK mean this work is under threat exactly at a time when we need to see this support grow.”
Dacian Ciolos, EU Agriculture Commissioner, announced the long-awaited proposals on Wednesday.
They include only active farmers receiving basic income support; a cap of 300,000 euros a year in payments to the largest farms; financial assistance for those under 40 to start farming.
Many Euro MPs criticsed the proposals including James Nicholson, spokesman for the European Conservatives and reformists Group.
He said: “Farmers just want to do what they do best - produce food. These proposals put yetmore obstacles in their way.
“At a time of rising food prices and fears regarding food security it is incredible that the EU wants to pay farmers to keep land fallow.”
The CLA and NFU said the proposals were “disappointing and a missed opportunity” and pledged to work with European allies to do everything they could to remove the worst aspects.
They said: “Ministers have committed to ensuring that English farmers are not disadvantaged, and we will be looking to them to work with us to avoid discrimination against English farmers, remove the excessive complexity in the current proposals and help farmers become more competitive.
“More specifically, we want to ensure that we have equivalent greening measures throughout the European Union. The purpose of this reform must be to bring the whole of Europe up to the standard of the better performing countries.”
They want to ensure the UK get’s a fair allocation of the budget in both pillar one (direct payments) and pillar two (agri-environment schemes) so there is no need to move money between the two (modulation).
“Specifically, we don’t support the attempt to allow up to ten percent modulation. We also need to see the capping proposals that would discriminate against the UK rejected.
“The restrictive definition of an active farmer, and the proposed payment reduction and capping, are highly discriminatory - hitting farms of equal size and payment to a sharply different extent. They will also hinder structural changes that may be needed to improve efficiency.”
