Brussels seeks farmer views on CAP greening rules

The EU Commission has launched a public consultation on the “greening” measures of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

The 12-week consultation seeks the views of farmers, landowners and farming groups on the first year of greening measures that were introduced following the 2013 reform of the CAP.

Comprising three different environmentally friendly agricultural practices – Ecological Focus Areas (EFAs), crop diversification and maintaining permanent pasture – greening has applied from the start of 2015 and is linked to 30% of CAP direct payments.

See also: CAP greening views will change – but not until 2017

The commission has already agreed to review the rules about EFAs after the first year of the new package. In particular, it will look at the administrative burden, the potential to simplify the policy and whether it offers a level playing field – as well as aspects of production potential.

The consultation, which is available to respond to on the EC’s website, will be open until 8 March 2016.

Farm leaders and politicians in the UK have repeatedly called for greening rules to be reassessed. In particular, there is huge concern about the three-crop rule, which many maintain is unnecessary and encourages inefficiency.

EU farm commissioner Phil Hogan has said proposed changes to the greening rules will be published before this summer.

Speaking after a recent EU agriculture and fisheries council meeting on CAP simplification, Mr Hogan said: “In my view, we need to look at the wider greening measures and ask ourselves whether they are delivering on their intended environmental objectives or whether there are ways to deliver these objectives in a way that is efficient but with less red tape.”

NFU Scotland has described the EU’s timetable to deliver simplification in CAP rules as “frustrating”.

Its president, Allan Bowie, said: “When the commissioner [Phil Hogan] accepted our invitation to visit an East Lothian farm this summer, the desperate need for him and his officials to simplify the rule book was top of our list of priorities.

“While we welcome his acceptance of the need for change, the timetable shows a worrying lack of urgency and the reality that there will be no discernible benefit from this review for Scottish farmers until 2017.

“As if trying to generate a fair return from producing food isn’t difficult enough at this time, politicians and policymakers in Scotland and Europe need to wake up and realise that their approach to rules and requirements is hindering food production.”

The NFU will respond on behalf of members to the consultation and will be encouraging members to send their responses to the European Commission directly.

Gail Soutar, NFU chief economics and international affairs adviser, said: “The NFU welcomes the commission’s efforts to simplify the CAP rules. Overly burdensome regulation and specifically CAP reform is consistently cited by our members as having the biggest negative impact on business confidence.

“The new rules were introduced with very little time for farmers to prepare and in many cases guidance was changing throughout the application window. The full impact of that is only now being felt as farmers face late payments and in some cases reductions in the value of their payments due to errors and mistakes being identified. “