Hampshire MEP Warns Of Problems In EU Commission Farm Reform Proposals

9.00.00am GMT Thu 30th Jan 2003

Chris Huhne MEP with Hampshire Farmers

Chris Huhne, Euro-MP for Hampshire, warns today that there could be significant problems for the county in the EU Commission's new farm reform proposals announced by Commissioner Franz Fischler last week.

Mr Huhne met to discuss the proposals with leading local farmers including National Farmers' Union branch vice-chairman Philip White of Chidden Farm, Stephen Horn, Mike Harnett and William White, the NFU southern counties policy adviser. Mr Huhne also met Jamie Butler at Whitewool Farm to discuss the implications for dairy farmers.

He said: 'Although there is a lot that is welcome in the Commission's new proposals for farm reform, the devil is going to be in the detail. In particular, the suggestion that the same parcel of land should now be set aside for ten years could present serious local problems.

'All our experience in Hampshire is that land left untended for any length of time becomes a target for travellers to camp on, and this problem is getting worse thanks to the county council's short-sighted decision to run down allocated sites for travellers' Mr Huhne said. 'At present farmers can change the land they set aside from year to year, allowing important flexibility in reacting to market conditions and the need for different crops'.

'It would surely be better to go further towards a market regime by abandoning set-aside altogether' said Mr Huhne. The MEP also heard concerns about the legal implications for farm land-owners and tenants of the proposals to pay direct payments based on a particular reference period, and to allow farmers to sell these on.

'The question is whether the landowner or the tenant has the right to collect and then sell on the single payments that would replace all the existing direct payments for different products' said Mr Huhne. 'This issue could prove very divisive, and very complicated when many farmers now both own and tenant land.

'I also heard real worries that British farmers could be hard hit by the Commission proposals to take away aid from big farms, since we have a larger number of big farms than continental countries. These so-called degressivity or modulation proposals must be watched like a hawk to ensure that they do not hit those who have made sensible investment decisions to produce efficiently' he said.

'These Commission proposals are the beginning of a process that will lead to important changes in the Common Agricultural Policy. I urge all local NFU branches to consider the implications and get in touch with me when they see particular problems' Mr Huhne said. 'I will be taking up several issues - notably non-rotational set-aside - with the Commission for clarification'.

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