Farming: MEPs condemn plan for further cuts in CAP budget

EUROPEAN MEPs on the agricultural committee came out fighting against any further reductions in the Common Agricultural Policy budget this week.

The politicians were reacting to a report from the Cypriot presidency following informal discussions with member states which concluded that cuts to the overall EU budget were inevitable considering the economic situation.

In the debate, Scottish MEP George Lyon urged his colleagues to take a tough line against cuts. He pointed out the current proposal, which saw no increase in real cash for the lifetime of the next CAP from 2014 to 2020, was equivalent to a 10 per cent drop in support.

“The conclusions should come as no surprise as EU countries desperately try to grapple with crisis that threatens to engulf national economies and destroy the euro,” he said.

“Against that background there can be no doubt that the overall EU budget will have to be reduced as Member States try to find savings but where those cuts will fall is a debate that has not yet concluded.

“Under the current European Commission plans, the CAP has already taken a 10 per cent reduction in funding while every other area of spending escaped without being cut.”

“The agriculture committee needs to take a tough line against any further threat to cut the CAP budget and point out to the Council that it must look at other spending areas in the budget first if it must find further savings.”

Other MEPs warned that cuts in the agriculture budget could drive food prices up, threaten jobs in rural areas and put the entire reform process in question.