Farm leaders have called on newly appointed EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan to make simplification of the Common Agricultural Policy (Cap) his number one priority.
NFU Scotland president Nigel Miller and chief executive Scott Walker recently travelled to Brussels to meet with fellow farming unions and European diplomats to discuss implementation of the new regime.
The union claims some of the Scottish Government’s implementation plans, which are yet to be announced to farmers, will cause disappointment in farming circles.
“We harbour genuine concerns over how Scotland plans to introduce the new Cap scheme in 2015 with transition measures for established businesses and national reserve support for some new and developing businesses falling far short of original promises,” said Mr Walker.
He said other European countries had adopted different implementation plans and the union would meet with Scottish Government officials soon to see if the Scottish plans could be improved to better serve farmers.
The union also attended a Copa-Cogeca meeting with Commissioner Hogan to discuss Cap reform.
Copa-Cogeca – the Brussels-based group representing farming unions and co-operatives – urged the Commissioner to stick to his pledge to simplify farm policy, describing the Cap as a “bureacucratic monster”.
Its president, Albert Jan Maart, echoed the fear of many Scottish farmers that time was running out to find out the rules, particularly for greening measures, of the new regime.
“We need to clarify the outstanding greening queries as soon as possible and make national administrative authorities give assistance and advice to farmers,” he said.
“At a time when the rest of the world is focusing on producing more food for the world, it is also vital to ensure that the greening measures do not result in land being taken out of production.”
NFUS chief executive Scott Walker said simplification of the Cap would dovetail Brian Pack’s review of agricultural red tape in Scotland.
He said: “It opens the door to driving meaningful change in the plethora of rules and regulations that plague the farming sector.”