4 CUMBRIAMay 2009 BrusselsSpecial
EUROPEAN
round-up EID cash aid for farmers?
BY ANNA BURDETT
T
he UK government could help farmers
pay for EID sheep-tagging, a leading
Brussels bureaucrat has told a visiting
group of north-west farmers.
Manuel Del Pozo, of the directorate general for
Agriculture and Rural Development at the Euro-
pean Commission, claims ministers could
choose to help English farmers when EID
becomes compulsory next year.
The delegation of farmers, including several
from Cumbria, were invited on a fact-finding trip
to Brussels by the NFU.
Mr Del Pozo said:
"Your government has
the tools to try to get
money to help imple-
ment EID. They can use
part of European fund-
ing to implement ani-
mal welfare measures.
"There is a possible
allocation of CAP fund-
ing in Article 68 and it
should be possible to get
this money to pay for
EID implementation.
"We give the tools and
it is like offering a menu
to a national minister
and they can choose."
Article 68 allows all
member states to retain
up to 10 per cent of their
national ceilings for
direct payments from
Pillar 1 of the CAP.
It can be used to provide support to specific
sectors for a range of purposes such as animal
welfare and contributions to mutual funds for
animal diseases.
Mr Del Pozo also urged farmers to think about
rearing calves for export when restrictions are
lifted because of the shortage in Italy and Spain.
He explained that EU export of beef was
increasing from a record low, but that the EU
must consider the competitive threat from Brazil
where beef production was "huge" and still
growing.
The UK dairy sector, he said, was experienc-
ing the worst downturn in Europe.
"Your milk price is one of the lowest in
Europe because of the power of purchasers and
it's not a good time to
produce milk.
"We're living
through a time of lib-
eral trade and we need
to be efficient and
more competitive with
the world market.
"We still have high-
er prices than our
competitors and we're
getting lower produc-
tion in our milk mar-
ket.
"For you farmers,
the message is very
confusing," he added.
The trip was spon-
sored by North West
MEP Brian Simpson who spoke to the group
when they visited the European Parliament.
Elisabeth Willocks, general secretariat of the
EU Council, explained to the visitors how
nations had come to agreement on the recent
CAP Health Check.
Right at the end of negotiations, each country
had 15 minutes with the French council pres-
ident and a compromise was drawn up and
signed in the early hours of the morning.
Looking ahead to post-2013, she said: "There is
a very strong lobby for Latvia who want equal
payments for farmers, regardless of where they
are in the EU. We're looking at simplification
and the reduction of the administrative burden
for the farmer."
What did visiting farmers think?
Jim Lister, of Wigton: "The thing
that strikes me is the unwieldiness and
how we can't get things done because
all the institutions seem to deadlock
each other. I understand now that it
doesn't work."
Calder Fenwick, of Seascale: "I'm
pleased the NFU is well represented.
We do everything too well and by the
book; we obey too many rules."
Dave Smith, of Appleby: "The
message I've got is that there is a
political block on allocating the levels
of support that are available.
"The UK seems to be very good at
putting the restrictions in place and
interpreting the regulations, but we
don't seem to have the political will to
access the help that is available.
"It's important that we have the
NFU team in Brussels to be involved in
policy changes from the start."
Mark Forster, of Penrith: "The EU
has woken up to food security and our
government has not.
"The lobby group of farmers has
been very successful in the EU, but not
as successful at home.
"I went on the trip with the
impression that the EU was giving us
rules for rules' sake, but I've come away
believing that it is our government that
is letting us down. They seem to have
no interest in agriculture."
EU official says UK
government could
help sheep farmers
Fact-finding trip: The Cumbrian farmers outside the European Council in Brussels. Back
row, from left, Calder Fenwick, of Seascale, Robert Craig, of Ainstable, Gordon Brown, of
Brampton, and Mark Forster, of Penrith. Front, from left, Dave Smith, of Dufton, and Jim
Nicholson, of Ulverston
Manuel Del Pozo: 'We
need to be efficient and
more competitive'
`Your
government
has the tools
to try to get
money to
implement
EID'
Exchange rate windfall
BRITAIN'S farmers are set for a cash windfall
worth hundreds of millions of pounds because
their annual subsidies are set in Euros each year.
By today, farmers had to inform Defra
whether they wanted their payments in Euros or
pounds ahead of the exchange rate figure being
set in September.
Those who make the right decision could be
thousands of pounds better off.
Tagging `not worth cost'
ENVIRONMENT Secretary Hilary Benn has said
the cost of electronic sheep tagging outweighed
its advantages.
He has called for other EU states to back him
in trying to change the regulations. It is
generally accepted that it is too late to stop its
introduction next year, but the UK government
may be able to win some concessions.
Diversification grants up
FARMERS could be eligible for 100 per cent
grant funding under planned changes to the
Rural Development Programme.
The changes are designed to help farmers
who want to diversify into non-agricultural
businesses during the economic downturn.
When the plans are approved by the European
Commission, the North West Development
Agency will be allowed to raise its funding limit
from 50 to 100 per cent on a range of grants.
Election hustings
THE NFU in the north west will hold an MEP
hustings event ahead of the European elections
in June. Representatives of all the major parties
will be at the event at the NFU's regional office
in Skelmersdale on Wednesday, May 20. For
details, contact Adam Bedford on 01695 554900.
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