FARMER 5May 2009
`We're better off in the EU'
How well do you think
farmers' interests are
represented in Brussels?
Our farming organisations do
their very best to make their
voices heard in Europe by
lobbying on our behalf, but a lot
of the decisions that are made
end up being compromises
between the different member
states and not quite what anyone
really wants.
The EID sheep-tagging issue
kept cropping up on this visit.
What concessions do you think
the UK government needs to
secure for its farmers to make
it workable?
Even with concessions, I think
EID will be very costly to our
industry � not only the cost of
buying the tags and reading
equipment; I think the biggest
cost will be in administrating a
system which will be of no
economic value to our
commercial sheep industry.
The legislation is too far down
the road for major alterations as
other states have already
accepted it and put the system in
place. The most we can probably
do is lobby Defra to fight for
some good concessions that have
a chance of working in our large
flocks and with the live auction
system. At the moment, there is
no system which can handle this
quantity of sheep and get a
reliable result.
Have you come away from
the trip with a more positive
view of the EU and what it
does?
Yes, I have come away from
this trip with a more positive
view of the EU because it made
me realise that most of the
governments in the other
member states are far more
supportive of agriculture and the
Common Agricultural Policy than
our Government is.
If we were not in the EU,
British agriculture would not
have the benefit of the support
of the other European
governments.
CAP post-2013 was also high
on the agenda. Has this trip
made you feel any more
confident about its future?
I came away with the
impression that the CAP would
still exist after 2013, but it may
have a smaller budget and our
payments will be different to
what they are at present.
What fundamental change do
you think needs to be made to
CAP? For instance, do you
think direct payments should
end?
The present system puts young
farmers and growing businesses
very much at a disadvantage to
established businesses with a
good historic payment.
Now the area part of the
payment is becoming a larger
percentage, it is benefiting
landlords and still not helping
young farmers.
Although direct payments,
such as headage payments, are
seen as a dirty word with some
people, the money does get to
the young person who is doing
the work.
What do you think of the job
being done by the NFU in
Brussels?
The NFU team in Brussels is
doing a very important job on our
behalf, lobbying in Europe to try
and get what we want for our
industry in the UK.
Before the trip, I didn't realise
they had such a strong presence
in Europe, lobbying as the NFU
and working with COPA the
organisation of European farmer
organisations and unions.
What did you get out of your
meeting with North West MEP
Brian Simpson?
When we met Brian Simpson,
who is a Labour MEP, it was very
obvious that he was representing
the urban majority and did not
have a full understanding of our
complex industry.
I think this makes it more
important than ever that we talk
to our MEPs to help them
understand what it is we need to
keep our industry in good health.
NextGeneration
Young Farmers' Club
members talk about their
lives in agriculture and what
the future holds
BrusselsSpecial
Cumbria Federation of Young Farmers chairman Jim Nicholson accompanied 22 farmers from the north
west on a fact-finding trip to Brussels last month. The 27-year-old, who is a member of Lowick YFC,
farms sheep and beef near Ulverston. These are his impressions of the European decision-making process
`Concessions': Jim Nicholson in the European Parliament

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