Farmers miss out on reforms of Common Agricultural Policy

The European Parliament has lost a golden opportunity to reform the Common Agricultural Policy for 21st farming, said MEP Robert Sturdy.

Mr Sturdy, Conservative group spokesperson for the environment committee, expressed disappointment about the EU’s ’health check’ of the CAP, which the European Parliament approved this week. Final approval is expected to be given by national governments.

The proposals represent the first time the CAP has been updated since the reforms of 2003.

Mr Sturdy said: "I am disappointed that the timid Agricultural Commission’s initial proposals for updating the 2003 reform of the CAP may be watered down further by MEPs who are against plans to decouple payments in more sectors and move funding from direct payments into rural development schemes.

"The Common Agricultural Policy is in desperate need of reform, and this was a golden opportunity which has been missed to free us of red tape, support our markets and allow our farmers more freedom which would benefit consumers. It is a travesty.

"At times of financial uncertainty, Europe must avoid its traditional protectionist tendencies and push ahead with the full decoupling of payments and seek greater flexibility. Only through our markets can we promote real growth and development in an industry under so many pressures.

"The Commission’s original proposals could have gone a lot further. Unfortunately, many of our colleagues in the EP do not agree with us and they have hindered what could have been real progress and real reform."