Allister speaks in CAP Health Check debate
13 March 2008
This week the European Parliament has debated its Agricultural Committee's report on the CAP Health Check. Speaking in the debate in Strasbourg Traditional Unionist MEP Jim Allister expressed considerable satisfaction with the content of the report and urged the commission to act upon it.
Mr Allister made four points in the debate, majoring on the potential to use unspent budget money on essential aid under Article 69 to strengthen EU agriculture. Millions of euros each year go unspent on intervention, export refunds and private storage. Rather than going back into general EU coffers, Mr Allister called for it to be used, particularly in regions where there are few alternatives to traditional types of agricultural production, to sustain agriculture there and tackle such socio-economic problems as an aging farming community with no alternative prospects.
In the course of his remarks Mr Allister said:-
"There is much in this report with which I agree and would like to comment. Time restricts me to 4 points.
1. As the report highlights, the theory of decoupling is good, but its practice has been disappointing in failing to command higher market returns for producers.
2. We must retain sufficient instruments to safeguard against market and supply crises. Imbalances in the supply chain endangers the CAP's aim of secure food supply. Food security is impossible without guaranteed economic sustainability for producers.
3. We can do more on CAP simplification to reduce the bureaucratic burden and, yes, to decriminalise farmers who make honest mistakes through minor breaches.
4. Unused Agri Budget allocations on market management measures should be available for Art 69 aid to strengthen EU agriculture, particularly where production is marginal and to deal with situations, as in my constituency, where there are high number of farmers over 55 with little prospect of alternative employment."
