Agenda 2000 could destroy single market concept

22 May 1998

Agenda 2000 ‘could destroy’ single market concept

The Agenda 2000 proposals for European farm policy reform could destroy the concept of the single market, the Scottish National Farmers Union has warned.

John Scott, SNFU hill farming convener, told a meeting of the unions Ayr executive that the planned direct payments to compensate for support price cutbacks would set farmer against farmer and lead to those with the loudest voice getting most of the compensation.

He also said that switching from headage to area payments for livestock producers would lead to production peaks and troughs with potentially disastrous consequences for supply and demand.

He denounced the proposal to leave nearly one-third of the compensation payments to the discretion of national Governments as the first step towards regionalising the Common Agricultural Policy.

• The Scotsman 22/05/98 page 30