Farmers unions reject Cypriot CAP proposals
The Cypriot proposals, which will form the starting point for negotiations for the CAP budget at a summit at the end of November proposed a further cut in the total CAP budget of 2%, (from €386.472bn to €378.972bn) compared to the Commission’s proposal, which farmers argue would already mean a cut in the CAP budget of 10% in real terms.
European farming co-operative Copa-Cogeca rejected the proposals, warning it would represent a significant cut in farm spending and risk threatening food security and rural development.
Copa-Cogeca secretary-general Pekka Pesonen said: “If farmers are to provide secure supplies of food and meet new environmental measures under greening, the budget for pillar one must be maintained in full.
“It is also important to ensure there is strong national and regional support for rural development measures under the second pillar. All second-pillar expenditure should therefore be co-financed.”
The UK National Farmers Union (NFU) said that while it appreciated reductions would be necessary, it would continue to push for a fair deal for British farmers.
NFU director of policy Martin Haworth said: “It would be unrealistic for us to expect the CAP to be exempt from the austerity measures that are being applied throughout the European Union.
“But whatever the size of the budget, we do expect our government to treat English and Welsh farmers equitably and to ensure that they can compete on a level playing field with the rest of Europe.
“While we have no opposition to moving more of the CAP budget towards rural development at a European level, we are deeply concerned that the UK Government continues to negotiate to have the powers to move up to 20% of the money at national level. Removing up to 20% of English farmers’ direct payments, when we know that other member states are looking for ways to bolster their farmers’ direct payments through ‘reverse transfers’, would hit our farmers far harder than the proposed EU budget cut.”
Earlier this week the NFU livestock board chairman Charles Sercombe said the CAP was still a “vital lifeline” for livestock producers, as highlighted by the annual Business Pointers report by Eblex, published this month. The report showed that most average beef and sheep producers are still making a loss before the single payment and despite improving performance, were contending with increased costs.
He said: “These results show the CAP is still a vital lifeline for many beef and sheep farms. The NFU will continue to work actively in Brussels to ensure a fair deal for the livestock farmer in the CAP reform negotiations.”
