Lyons calls for firm budget for agriculture

THE Scottish MEP charged with a reporting on the future of the EU Common Agricultural Policy, yesterday claimed the first priority had to be securing the budget.

"If we do not have the money in the budget, we can talk all we want about schemes and proposals but they will mean nothing," said George Lyon prior to the publication of his report which will be discussed by the EU Parliamentary agricultural committee.

His believed that, despite finance ministers from member states wanting to reduce the CAP budget in order to help balance their own books, the plan he has put together would gain the support of even urban based MEPs because it could deliver far more than just agricultural benefits.

A former president of NFU Scotland, Lyon claimed that under his proposals farmers throughout Europe could play a major role in helping meet wider targets for society such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions as well as helping increase renewable energy generation.

He challenged the new agricultural commissioner to "come out fighting " to ensure there would be no cutbacks in the agricultural budget. "It is starting to be worrying that we have had no strong defence of the CAP from the man who is in charge of it," he stated.

The committee will begin discussion on Lyon's paper next month and Lyon was hopeful it would come through unscathed prior to being presented to the Parliament later in the summer.