NFU Scotland has joined with 11 other farming organisations in urging their farming ministers to ensure that sufficient time and flexibility is built into the CAP Reform package to ensure the impact of change can be managed.

In Scotland, the key shift the reform will bring is the move from a historic-based support system to one that is area-based in the future.

Europe’s Agricultural Ministers are meeting in Luxembourg today (22 October) and tomorrow (23 October) with CAP Reform proposals, scheduled to start in 2014, top of the agenda.  Those discussions will include the issue of internal convergence of CAP direct payments, with Commission proposals aimed at providing a fairer distribution of payments both between and within Member States.  Having that flexibility would be to Scotland’s advantage.

NFU Scotland, along with other farming organisations from Wales, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, The Netherlands, Belgium, France and Denmark issued a joint statement.  The statement was copied to Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Richard Lochhead, who is in Luxembourg.  It read:

“The proposed swift mandatory convergence of direct support to a flat rate, be it on national, regional or sub-regional level, accelerated by the proposed flat rate of the greening scheme, threatens to destabilise the viability of certain sectors in certain regions and will bring along considerable speculation in the run up to the first allocation in 2014.

“Our farmers need sufficient room of manoeuvre and flexibility for evolution over time. Therefore, we argue for a gradual and adequate transitional period for any adjustments and oppose the overly sharp redistribution from the start of the transition.

“On this crucial point, we urge upon our ministers to incorporate the much needed flexibility and time for the internal convergence at Member State level. We ask for a feasible and practicable result that doesn't threaten the viability of farmers in the short and medium term.” 

Notes to Editors

• The joint statement on convergence was signed by officials and representatives of the following organisations: NFU Scotland, NFU Cymru, Ulster Farmers’ Union, The Irish Farmers’ Association, Boerenbond (Belgium), LTO Nederland (The Netherlands), ASAJA (Spain), COAG (Spain),  Union des Producteurs Agricole (Spain), Agricultores de Portugal, DAFC (Denmark), FNSEA (France), ABS (Belgium) and FWA (Belgium).
• The Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting of October 2012 is taking place in Luxembourg today and tomorrow (22 and 23 October 2012). Discussions amongst Agriculture Ministers will continue to focus on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
• On internal convergence of CAP Direct Payments, the Commission proposals are aimed at providing a fairer distribution of payments both between and within Member States. This includes a convergence mechanism with options for regionalisation to avoid unjustified disruptive effects for some categories of farmers. This includes a large degree of discretion to Member States, allowing them to differentiate payment entitlements at regional level with regions defined according to objective criteria such as agronomic or economic characteristics and their regional agricultural potential.

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Contact Bob Carruth on 0131 472 4006