McGuinnesswarns of climatechange budgetcommitment

MAIREAD McGuinness MEP has warned that if the latest leaked budget proposal being put to EU leaders is accepted, the EU will fail to deliver on its commitments to tackle climate change in a way that provides for a just transition and supports farmers warned. The first Vice-President of the European Parliament said the Council meeting is critical and such proposals must be resisted.

“The UK’s departure from the EU leaves a gap in funding for the remaining 27 member states but the European Parliament believes that an ambitious Europe should make up some of the gap rather than cutting vital EU programmes,” she said. Farmers need certainty about the funding for the CAP in the coming years, the MEP added. “Yet thus far all they see coming down the tracks is more demands on them to change to address biodiversity and climate issues and to do so with less money.”

The latest budget proposals involve significant cuts in the agriculture policy - hitting both direct payments and rural development, with rural development payments taking a very heavy cut of 25 per cent compared with the previous budget period.

“This is nothing short of a disaster as rural development is where tailor made measures can be introduced to tackle specific issues, including habitat restoration, animal welfare and capital investment in better control of farm effluent,” she said.“The EU is committed to tackling biodiversity decline and has ambitious climate targets - yet the budget proposed is anything but ambitious.