Major simplication of cross compliance regime needed

"CAP is too complex to both farmers and the administrations of EU Member States and it is now time for a broad discussion on its simplification from grass roots up and EU Commission level down." This was the conclusion of German bureaucrat Christopher Eiden when he addressed a meeting of COPA Praesidium* in Brussels this week.

Setting out the agenda for discussions on the simplification of the CAP during the German presidency of the EU, Mr Eiden anticipated that there would be a discussion of German presidency proposals in March 2007. It was hoped that following detailed negotiations there would be an agreement on an Action Plan that would be taken forward into the Portuguese presidency.

Dai Davies, President of NFU Cymru, who attended the two-day meeting of the COPA Praesidium in Brussels said, "Despite the fact that over 20 European farming unions were represented at the meeting, there was a high level of consensus that there has to be technical adjustments to simplify the CAP in terms of consistency in the application of penalties across the scheme, the introduction of tolerances for inadvertent mistakes and fines proportional to the infringement. At present farmers are terrified of breaching cross compliance rules and compromising their single farm payments."

The German delegation estimated that a reduction in red tape could result in an additional four million jobs over a 10-15year period and an annual cost saving to the European agricultural industry of between 0.8 – 1bn Euros per annum.

In presenting its views to the Praesidium, the NFU stated, "Changes have to be made to cross compliance so that it is proportional to the realities of production."

Dai Davies concluded, "NFU Cymru would work closely with other farming unions in the COPA Praesidium to achieve a more pragmatic approach to cross compliance and this process would begin with the submission of a comprehensive dossier by the Union to COPA and to the EC in Brussels."