Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-04-19-Speech-4-489-000"
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"en.20120419.20.4-489-000"2
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"Mr President, the Less-Favoured Areas scheme is of vital importance, certainly to my region in Northern Ireland. Currently 70% of agricultural land in the region is designated as a Less-Favoured Area. The payments received by farmers who are covered by this scheme are vital to their livelihoods, especially as many are only part-time farmers.
We should therefore approach adopting this scheme – and changing the criteria for limiting the scheme – with the utmost caution. Forecasts suggest that, under the current proposals, a substantial amount of currently eligible land in the United Kingdom as a whole will lose LFA status. This figure is thought to translate into a loss of up to 30% of current LFA land.
I am concerned that, while some areas may lose out, it seems in fact that more productive land could well be included under this new scheme. These are areas which may not necessarily require this type of support; this demonstrates that, quite possibly, the Commission failed to carry out an adequate impact assessment of the consequences of this proposed notification.
I wish to see a level playing field for all Member States. This requires the recognition of all types of natural constraints, and of the fact that they are equally damaging to agricultural production. I would like to take this opportunity to point out, for example, that rainfall – as experienced where I come from – can be as detrimental to agricultural activity as the droughts which occur in other parts of Europe. We have to overcome the obstacles and a one-size-fits-all approach will not suit on this occasion.
In order to safeguard the effectiveness of the LFA scheme, I wish to see a broad and flexible approach. I believe that the current scheme has worked very well, and I do not wish to see it in any way jeopardised.
In conclusion, I am beginning to wonder who exactly is driving the CAP and the reform. Is it the Commission or is it the Court of Auditors? It seems that the Court has criticised the Commission’s every move, even, this week, regarding the reform package. If this specific reform of the LFA scheme proposed by the Commission is simply a reaction to criticism from the Court of Auditors which claims these payments are not justified, it is totally scandalous."@en1
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