Government must rise to green farming scheme funding challenge

20.03.07

CPRE [1] today, Tuesday, waits with bated breath to see how the Government resolves the funding crisis for green farming schemes.

‘We’re relieved the EU has finally given permission [2] for the Government to transfer a percentage of EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) farming payments to go towards paying for the Environmental Stewardship [3] green farming scheme for landscape and wildlife,’ said Ian Woodhurst, CPRE’s senior farming campaigner.

‘But Defra has a long way to go to meet its target for the area of land covered by the top tier of the Environmental Stewardship Scheme. The Treasury and Defra must rise to the challenge of ensuring this crucial scheme has the funding it needs to do its job,’ he continued.

‘CPRE welcomes the outcome of the recent negotiations. We believe the Government must now transfer and then match as much of this money as possible to reward farmers everywhere, not just for maintaining but also for enhancing our countryside,’ Ian concluded.

Research in Living Landscapes [4], a joint CPRE/NFU report published in July 2006, showed that farmers undertake around £412 million pounds worth of landscape management every year outside green farming schemes. CPRE believes it is vital that future European farming reforms ensure farmers can continue to manage our precious countryside.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Sir Max Hastings. Patron: Her Majesty The Queen.

2. A meeting of the European Agriculture Council on Monday 19 March agreed a compromise proposal between the European Commission and the European Parliament, which had been blocking 20% of the European Union’s Rural Development Budget. The Parliament had been concerned that the ability for some Member States to transfer, or ‘modulate’, a percentage of CAP payments to pay for rural development measures, which includes the Environmental Stewardship Scheme was contrary to the purposes of the CAP. The Government is also able to match the amount of money that is transferred or ‘modulated’. The Government has said it will shortly make an announcement on the level of modulation it will use and the amount of match funding it will contribute.

3. Environmental Stewardship has two tiers Entry Level and Higher Level. The top tier Higher Level Scheme of Environmental Stewardship, rewards farmers for managing the most important landscapes and wildlife habitats, and was facing a financial black hole if the Government had not been allowed to transfer up to 20% of CAP payments paid to farmers into agri-environment schemes.

4. The Living Landscapes report is available as a free download from CPRE’s website: http://www.cpre.org.uk/library/results/farming

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