Health Check Proposals 'Off Target'
20 May 2008
Speaking after the European Agriculture Commissioner Fischer-Boel revealed her CAP Health Check proposals in Strasbourg today, Jim Allister MEP commented:
“I question the logic behind the Commission’s proposals for the future direction of the CAP at this interim juncture, namely its manipulation of rising commodity prices, and the emergence of energy and climate change as the underlining factors to direct EU agricultural policy.”
“While undoubtedly commodity prices have risen over the past 12 months, today’s Health Check proposals miss the crux point as far as Northern Ireland agriculture is concerned, which is feed and input costs have risen at a far quicker rate since the Health Check debate began several years ago. Indeed, 2 of the original underlining principles of the CAP –a fair return for producers, and a secure food supply for EU consumers are arguably more relevant in today’s climate of food price inflation, which is itself an indication of the changing dynamic of European Agriculture”.
“While the Commission has announced its intention of abolishing arable set aside, this pails in significance to a situation where World grain stocks are at an all time low, particularly with the increasing competition between food and fuel. I fear that the Commission’s ‘off target’ Health Check proposals will be replicated as WTO negotiations heat up.”
“The ending of the milk quota regime post-2015 will undoubtedly pose a challenge for the Northern Ireland industry, particularly where a phased increase in quota allowance is met with an increase in EU supply. The intention to increase the compulsory rate of modulation to 13% by 2012, while unpopular with producers in other Member States will have less of an impact for UK producers, where the introduction of voluntary modulation is already taking money away from direct payments to be used for Rural Development purposes.”
ENDS
