Trade talks need to get serious

The EU is due to publish its proposals for a post-Brexit trade deal with the UK next week, and in advance of that happening sabre-rattling on both sides is continuing. Government ministers in London have again said the UK wants to go it alone on policy and will not align with EU rules.

It underlined that this week with new immigration rules likely to affect farming and the food industry with their minimum earnings figure.

In France the foreign minister, JeanYves Le Drian, suggested the UK and EU would “rip each other apart” in negotiations over a trade deal.

By the middle of next month this blood letting and political posturing will have to give way to serious negotiations if there is to be any hope of the UK achieving a deal by the end of the year.

Farmers and farming groups have been protesting in Brussels and in member state capitals over possible big cuts to the Cap budget.

Reality is dawning in Brussels that the hole left in the EU budget by the UK’s departure will not be easily filled.

Member states do not want to increase contributions, but at the same time they want to continue spending.

This topped the agenda at a meeting of member states seeking to break the budget impasse.

The latest suggestion lowered the percentage of national economic activity member states contribute, but this can only be achieved by big cuts to the budget. That would directly affect the Cap with suggestions that pillar one – direct payments – could be cut by 4%, while pillar two – rural development – could face a massive 15% cut. This is pitting pro-Cap member states against key paymaster countries.

With Brexit this may seem irrelevant to farmers here, but for the foreseeable future UK support payments will be linked to the Cap.

Farm to Fork is the European Commission’s new buzz phrase and it is one likely to intensify green pressure on farmers in the EU-27.

While it is a broad brush strategy covering areas from pesticides to antimicrobials, politicians are focusing on headline grabbers such as demands to cut the use of all agrochemicals.

The strategy is part of a wider Green Deal approach of the new European Commission, but the implications and how it can be implemented have not been thought through. This will be a chance for the UK Government to live up to its commitment not to simply follow EU policies and regulations, but as things stand it seems determined to out-green anything Brussels does.

Picture: Shutterstock. The UK hopes to achieve a deal by the end of the year.