RSPCA says link CAP cash to animal welfare
RSPCA says link CAP cash to animal welfare
LINKING CAP payments to good animal welfare has been proposed by the RSPCA.
In its own version of Agenda 2000, the organisation recommends three key policy changes:
lPayments encouraging intensive production should be phased out.
lFuture CAP support should be linked to good animal welfare practice.
lRefunds for live exports to Third countries should cease.
Presenting the proposals to EU farm commissioner, Franz Fischler, last week, Derek Bowles, head of the RSPCAs international affairs, said: "The current discussions on reform of the CAP provide the perfect opportunity to improve animal welfare.
"Many CAP policies and subsidies are designed to ensure food production and agricultural incomes and inevitably encourage intensive farming, therefore often conflicting directly with animal welfare."
Payments could be linked to stocking densities, for example, to improve welfare. Forage area payments should also be considered to encourage extensification in the dairy sector, the RSPCA believes. *