NFU responds to European Parliament report on CAP reform

The NFU has broadly backed the European Parliament’s report on CAP reform which was adopted by MEPs today.

The ’CAP Towards 2020’ report calls for a simplified policy to increase production sustainably. It adds any ’greening’ of the CAP must be based on a ’win-win’ approach that brings benefits for farmers and the environment but does not jeopardise existing agri-environment schemes.

NFU deputy president Meurig Raymond, who was in the European Parliament this week to lobby MEPs ahead of the vote, said his message had largely got through.

"We told MEPs that we need a simplified policy that does not hamper farm productivity or competitiveness and broadly speaking this report is moving in the right direction," he added.

"MEPs voted against calls to re-introduce some form of set-aside and they listened to our advice to abolish modulation and maintain the sugar regime.

"Crucially, they said any new greening element of the CAP should not jeopardise existing agri-environment schemes. We now need to ensure that any new greening will be voluntary and provide a genuine economic benefit to farmers.

"But while the report has addressed many of our concerns, some question marks remain. MEPs backed a cap on the largest single farm payments which we believe will have a disproportionate effect on UK farmers and contradicts calls for a modern, efficient farming sector.

"MEPs have a critical role to play in the reform of the CAP and we will continue to work with them to help shape the Commission’s legislative proposals which are due out in October."