Farming: Scotland 'at heart of talks' on future direction of CAP reform

Although there is still at least another two years of wrangling to go before the latest version of the European Union Common Agricultural Policy is completed, a leading Scottish civil servant told a meeting in Carnoustie yesterday that as far as Scotland was concerned, it as a case of "so far so good".

David Barnes, the deputy director of the agricultural and rural affairs department of the Scottish Government, said his assessment of the situation was based on the similarities between the European Commission's broad proposals and those in the in the Pack report which forms the Scottish Government position.

Barnes had earlier this week been in Brussels to explain the thinking behind the various proposals in the Pack report, and he pointed out that this invite from DG6 which formulates EU policy on agriculture was very significant.

"Normally they provide their thoughts on any policy and it is unusual for them to invite individual countries to come along and explain their proposals," he said.

He did add that this did not mean the Scottish agenda would form the basis of the next CAP but said it was far better to be in there discussing the way forward than not being involved.

While the target is getting the new policy in place by January 2014, Barnes indicated that sources within Brussels were already recognising that it might take to the beginning of 2015 before it was settled.

He largely skirted around the conflict that currently exists between the English position on CAP reform and that of the devolved parts of the UK but another speaker, Allan Buckwell, the policy director of the Country Landowners' Association, was much less reticent.

He complimented Scotland in getting into the heart of Europe saying that some small regions worked with Brussels in order to influence policy while other regions are "completely ignored and that includes England".

He then pointed out there was a long history of England being at odds with European thinking and described the latest position of Defra wanting to get rid of direct subsidy payments as not one that would get a great deal of support.

As an economist, Buckwell also took a strong position on less favoured area payments, saying the logic of paying someone to stay in an area where production was less than other areas was not sound.

He wanted to change the emphasis from less favoured to environmentally favoured, saying there would be far more public acceptance for payments that ensured looking after the environment.

Scotland is currently close to the foot of the league where environmental payments are concerned and while part of the EU Commission proposal for CAP reform is for a more equitable sharing of money, Buckwell was not convinced this would flow through the UK membership.

"I just do not see any generosity towards helping the 'Jocks'," was how he put it.