ANGER OVER ENVIRONMENTAL MEPs’ INPUT ON CAP REFORM

ENVIRONMENT MEPs will now have a formal say over the future Common Agricultural Policy, a move that farmers’ groups fear will lead to political “disarray”.

European Parliament political group leaders last week agreed to allow the environment committee a say over the climate-related parts of the CAP reform, to the delight of green NGOs.

The agriculture committee will remain in the lead on the file, but must take on board any relevant changes before putting their joint position to the entire Parliament for a vote.

ICSA president Patrick Kent said it was “very regrettable”, and pointed to the “mess” he said the environment committee made of recent rules on biofuels.

He said decisions on the new CAP need to be “informed by a real understanding of the challenges facing farm families”.

The decision was welcomed by Greenpeace, which said it was “a real recognition that agriculture impacts public health, the environment and the climate”.

The CAP reform has to be agreed by national agriculture ministers and MEPs.