While the NFU applauded many aspects of the vote, it remains deeply concerned by some important elements.
NFU Deputy President Meurig Raymond, who has been meeting MEPs in Strasbourg this week, said that MEPs had listened to many of the NFU concerns.
“First I think it is right to give credit to the MEPs who we have been working with since October 2011 when the Commission published what we described as a ‘dog’s breakfast’ of CAP reform proposals. MEPs have listened to many of our concerns and have made meaningful changes that, if approved in the final deal, will strip out up some of the unnecessary bureaucracy from the future CAP.
“We have impressed on MEPs the importance of devising a CAP which creates the right conditions for farmers to produce high quality food for a growing population. We are somewhat relieved therefore to see the Commission’s ludicrous proposal to set-aside seven per cent of land for ‘Ecological Focus Areas’ slashed to three per cent by MEPs and that farm level restrictions on ploughing of permanent grassland will not be brought in, in the first instance.
“However an extremely disappointing element of today’s vote was that not enough MEPs were able to support the good work farmers are already doing on farms.
“MEPs failed to support any of the amendments which would have derogated many of our grassland farmers, and all of our farmers who are already undertaking agri-environment commitments, from having to do further greening requirements. And this is despite the European Commission itself agreeing at last year’s NFU Conference that the existing efforts of farmers should be recognised. I don’t know if this was really the intention of the majority of MEPs but I will certainly look to the Council of Ministers and Commission to reinstate that recognition through the trilogue process.
MEPs also supported extending coupled aid to a maximum of 15 per cent of the member state envelope.
“It is essential, when competing on a single market, that distortions between farmers are kept to a minimum,” said Mr Raymond. “We are deeply disappointed, therefore, that MEPs have taken a step back in time by supporting increased amounts of coupled support which will lead to market distortions and reduces the industry’s market orientation.
“I am also very concerned with measures in the dairy sector that would result in increased market management once the dairy quotas end in 2015. The industry has worked for many years on the basis that milk quotas would end and the sector would be free to respond to market demands. Introducing a measure, which would penalise farmers who had increased production while granting an aid to those who had cut production, is a retrograde step.
“I would like to thank MEPs for approving new measures to ease the burden of inspections and bring in more proportionate fines for minor offences. Too often farmers are fined substantial sums of money for mistakes beyond their control. However it is deeply disappointing that MEPs voted to reinstate many of the cross compliance requirements that MEPs on the Agriculture Committee had previously voted to remove, particularly the hugely burdensome and controversial sheep EID regulations.”
Today’s vote now provides the European Parliament with a formal mandate to go into negotiations with the Council of Agriculture Ministers – which includes Defra Secretary of State Owen Paterson and his 26 EU counterparts.