DEPARTMENT FOR
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (News Release ref :
370/08) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 20 November 2008
The agreement
reached on the CAP Health Check in Brussels today is a step in the
right direction of further reform, but it was also a missed
opportunity to speed up the process of change, Environment
Secretary Hilary Benn said.
"The UK set out its ambitions for the Health Check in April
this year, making it clear that cutting the trade distorting
nature of the CAP, reducing regulatory burdens on farmers and
giving them greater control over their business decisions were paramount.
"The deal today will make progress on these aims by ending
half of the remaining coupled payments, bringing the amount of
farm payments switched to environmental schemes across the EU
closer to the level already applying in the UK, and simplifying
the rules for farm payments, including greater flexibility on the
rules governing cross compliance.
"However, we have also seen how the CAP creates vested
interests which distort things and slow the progress of reform. I
share the disappointment of the UK dairy sector at the competitive
distortions resulting from today's deal, and given the large
amount of money already being spent on farm payments, I could not
support the use of unspent funds which should come back to Member States.
"This is a mixed result. On the big items of reform this is
a step forward, but I regret what has been conceded in order to
secure a deal which will lead to some new distortions in the short term.
"And it means that we will continue to argue the case for
reform as the UK has consistently done in Europe as we move on to
the EU Budget Review which will start next year. We want to see
further changes for the benefit of farmers, consumers and the
environment and will continue to press for this."
Notes for Editors:
For more information on the CAP Health Check please visit: http://www.europa.eu
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