The Farmers’ Union of Wales today branded the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) deal agreed by the UK Government as an “own-goal” which will have adverse impacts for Welsh farmers.
Following a meeting of the union’s presidential team which discussed the CAP deal in detail, FUW president Emyr Jones said: “Many of the concerns raised repeatedly by the FUW during meetings with MEPs and Commission officials have led to changes which are a massive improvement on what was originally proposed by the Commission in 2011, for example in terms of changes to greening requirement thresholds which take into account the needs of farms in Wales.
“However, this is against a background of a financial deal which will have severe implications for Wales, particularly in terms of Pillar 2 funding.”
Mr Jones said the UK had given away more of its Pillar 2 allocation than any other Member State despite the UK being entitled to a significant increase in its allocation.
“This, coupled with the abolition of co-funding requirements, means a raw deal for UK farmers compared with our competitors in other countries, and a further movement away from commonality between Member States.
“The UK Government seems oblivious or indifferent to the fact that we are within a common market and that we are therefore supposed to have a common policy. They have, in effect, succeeded in negotiating a net financial loss and flexibility which smacks of the renationalisation of agricultural policy by the back door.”
Mr Jones said the UK’s agreement to allow other Member States to increase their level of coupled support to 13% of their CAP budget’s while arguing for an 8% ceiling for the UK indicated an obsession with pursuing idealistic and unrealistic domestic aspirations without any due regard for the fact that we are part of a common market.
“It is a ridiculous negotiating position when you agree to others having more, but only on the condition that you receive less."
Mr Jones said those who claimed the UK’s settlement would not undermine UK farming and its competitiveness were being extremely naïve or disingenuous.
“It is a bad deal for Welsh farmers and rural Wales as a whole, agreed by a government whose approach to the CAP is no different to that of their predecessors.”