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15/02/2012 11:26:08

MEP reprimand for criticism of Commission policies on farming



In a speech during a debate in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on the 14th February on ’food distribution to the most deprived persons in the EU’, Stuart Agnew MEP, farmer and UKIP spokesman on agriculture attacked Commission reforms that force farmers to set aside 7% of their land and produce less food. He also questioned the legality of the Commission’s food distribution activities.

He said that the latest CAP reforms will "cut food production in some of Europe’s best farmland," at a time when there are food shortages. The rationale for setting aside so much productive farmland is because "the Commission claims this will cool the world’s weather. The last figures I heard suggested that we haven’t warmed at all in the 2000s and this weekend, I recorded the lowest temperature on my farm since 1986."

"Commission policies are illegal, incoherent and, apparently, stupid all at the same time." Mr Agnew demanded to know when "common sense will prevail?" He was immediately chastised by Alijo Vidal –Quadras MEP, who was chairing the debate, for using the word ’stupid’ which he said did "not match exactly with Parliamentary courtesy."





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