European proposals for major changes to the system of farming subsidies under the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) are on the right lines but do not go far enough, Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said today [Wednesday].
Responding to the publication of European Commission (EC) proposals for the Mid-Term Review of the CAP, Beckett said: “To help secure profitable and sustainable farming – and a better deal for consumers and taxpayers – we need radical proposals for change. Today’s proposals are consistent with much that we and Sir Don Curry’s Policy Commission want to see.
“We fully support the EC’s vision of a CAP which delivers economic viability and integration with our environmental and rural development objectives, while removing its trade-distorting aspects, especially those which damage developing countries.
“They are on the right lines, and I welcome the proposal to shift the emphasis of support from production-linked aid to measures that promote wider rural development. However, the proposals do not go far enough. In particular, they do nothing to control the burgeoning growth in the budget because they simply recycle money in the agriculture budget. We need year on year savings in the cost of the CAP.
“We will be looking to build on the positive elements in the proposals. There is some hard bargaining ahead and the UK will be playing an active and constructive role. We want to hear what stakeholders across the UK think, as our negotiating position will be formulated in consultation with them.”
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