NFU Scotland has welcomed a report from Scottish MEP George Lyon that has placed European agriculture and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) at the core of how Europe should meet the emerging challenges posed by food security and climate change.
Following the publication in early March of his working document on the future of the CAP after 2013, Mr Lyon has wasted no time in producing a beefed-up final version of his report on behalf of the EU parliament’s agriculture committee.
The report not only focuses on the importance of European agriculture in the future but also highlights the need to maintain the budget associated with the CAP to ensure effective delivery of the benefits.
NFU Scotland President, Jim McLaren said:
“The CAP has, for more than half a century, delivered a good deal for European farmers and consumers. George’s paper rightly points out that if the CAP is to continue to deliver after its scheduled reform in 2013, and help meet the twin challenges of food security and climate change, then the core budget must be preserved if it is to be effective. It should continue to be delivered centrally from Europe with George ruling out re-nationalisation.
“The paper recognises that food security remains the central challenge for EU agriculture and with population growth likely to prompt a doubling of world-wide food demand by 2050, Europe cannot afford to rely on other parts of the world to provide our food security. We must seek to ensure that a properly funded CAP continues to support farmers in the vital job of producing our food requirements.
“Here in Scotland, we are already wrestling with the thorny issues around how support from the CAP should be delivered to our farmers after 2013. The ongoing inquiry, chaired by Brian Pack, into the future delivery of support to Scottish agriculture, is expected to report to the Scottish Government later this year.
“This paper adds further to the Scottish debate with welcome acknowledgement that support should recognise activity, that there is a need for a period of transition after reform in 2013 and that there should be flexibility for Member States to direct support in a manner that reflects its priorities. While NFUS would agree with need for a period of transition after reform in 2013, we need to ensure that anomalies, such as the eligibility of new entrants for support payments, are addressed at the earliest opportunity.”
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