Convergence funding spat back in the spotlight

With new life breathed into the issue during the visit of UK environment secretary Michael Gove to the Highland show, the on/off review of the allocation of EU convergence uplift funding, argued over since 2013, is up and running again.

And NFU Scotland yesterday revealed that it had written again to the secretary of state calling for the long-promised review of the allocation of funds to be included in decisions on Scotland’s post-brexit agricultural support package.

The call follows evidence given by Gove to two Scottish Parliamentary committees last week which indicated that although any back-dated “refund” of convergence monies was unlikely, the allocation might be looked at with a new eye when the share out of the post-brexit domestic farm support bill was being decided.

Yesterday the union said that it remained its “unequivocal view” that the UK was awarded the convergence uplift in 2013 from the EU, as part of the reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy, because of Scotland’s low payment rate per hectare (approximately €130 per hectare – giving the UK an extra £190 million over a six year period).

“Since late 2013, NFU Scotland has repeatedly

0 Michael Gove paid a visit to the Highland Show asked three successive Defra Secretaries of State, and the current minister for agriculture, fisheries and food, to recognise Scotland’s lower-thanaverage payment rate via a review and eventual reallocation of intra-uk CAP funding,” said union president Andrew Mccornick.

But he said that what was most disappointing was that after the promise of a review by three successive UK environment secretaries, one appeared to be set to begin last November – only to be kicked into the long grass by the involvement of the UK Treasury department.

“When we met with Mr Gove at the Highland Show we left him in no doubt that this long-running issue is critical to the future interests of Scottish agriculture. Despite discussions at the Highland, and intense questioning by MSPS last week, we appear to be no further forward.”

He said that the UK’S CAP budget convergence dividend had to be fairly resolved to provide the financial base upon which to build future Scottish agricultural policy – indicating that the issue was central to agreeing the framework for agricultural spending post-brexit and beyond the requirements of the CAP.

“We are convinced that this issue can be swiftly and effectively resolved by undertaking the promised review based on nonhistoric allocations and objective analysis,” said Mccornick.

“There is a clear opportunity for the UK government to show an unreserved commitment to Scottish agriculture, and our Less Favoured Areas.”