British minister vows to scrap ‘ridiculous and bureaucratic’ EU farming legislation

AS BRUSSELS tore itself apart following the shock resignation of the UK ambassador to the EU, UK farmers were treated to their own Brexit surprise.

UK environment minister Andrea Leadsom (pictured) promised to scrap EU farming rules “that hold us back”.

“No more six-foot EU billboards littering the landscape. No more existential debates to determine what counts as a bush, a hedge, or a tree. And no more ridiculous, bureaucratic three-crop rule,” she told an Oxford farming conference.

“By cutting the red tape that comes out of Brussels, we will free our farmers to grow more, sell more and export more great British food,” she said.

She also hinted that farmers would still be able to rely on seasonal labour from the EU, even if the UK imposes border controls following Brexit.

Limiting EU migration — and nonEU migration — is one of British PM Theresa May’s red lines in the upcoming Brexit talks, which are due to kick off in April.

“I want to pay tribute to the many workers from Europe who contribute so much to our farming industry and rural communities,” Ms Leadson said.

Direct payments

However, she did not reassure farmers on subsidies, guaranteeing direct payments only until 2020.

In fact, Farming Minister George Eustice hinted at the same conference that farmers should move away from the notion of subsidies. Meanwhile, a House of Commons report released just before Christmas warned of a “triple jeopardy” for UK farmers following Brexit, given the end of EU subsidies, the possible reintroduction of tariffs on UK goods, and competition from countries with lower food standards. “Leaving the Common Agricultural Policy will threaten the viability of some farms,” the report says. It also called on the UK government to create a new environmental protection act to ensure high climate standards were upheld after the country leaves the EU.