Nicola Sturgeon has begged the European Commission to extend Scotland’s deadline for making CAP payments – despite her government publicly insisting everything is being done to get the cash out in time.
The Press and Journal can reveal that the First Minister and Cabinet Secretary Fergus Ewing pleaded with EU Commissioner Phil Hogan to make Scotland a special case by extending the June 30 cut-off.
The Scottish Government could be slapped with EU fines of up to £125million if it fails to get the cash out to farmers in time.
Mr Ewing told parliament last week that everything is being done to get the payments out by June 30 – but the meeting with Mr Hogan indicates the administration is already working up contingency plans.
The Scottish Government confirmed the meeting had taken place to discuss the “potential for flexibility on the deadline”.
But a Brussels insider told the Press and Journal the SNP’s demands were likely to be rebuffed by officials.
However, it is understood the commission could be considering waving the financial penalties for all EU member states, as countries across the continent have struggled to deliver the payments on time.
A damning Audit Scotland report has already slammed the Scottish Government over its mishandling of the delivery of the crucial payments, which has starved the rural economy of hundreds of millions of pounds.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “As the Cabinet Secretary (Mr Ewing) has made clear we are doing all we can to pay farmers and crofters ahead of the EU’s June 30 deadline.
“The potential for flexibility on the deadline was discussed by the First Minister, Rural Economy Secretary (Mr Ewing) and Commissioner Hogan when they met recently.
“Whether or not the deadline is extended we are working to get remaining payments made as quickly as possible and there will be no let-up in effort.”
Last night, Tory MEP Ian Duncan said “nothing short of a public inquiry” was required to get to the bottom of the debacle.
He said: “As a farmer, Commissioner Hogan knows how vital these payments are to rural Scotland, and I’m sure he will be doing everything he can to be as flexible as possible.
“However the fact remains that the Scottish Government is clearly not on top of this issue, despite Fergus Ewing’s assurances last week.
“The Scottish Parliament goes into recess in three weeks time and I have not met a single farmer confident that the tens of millions of pounds of outstanding payments will be made before Scottish Government ministers go on holiday.
“Nothing short of a public inquiry is required into what has gone so very badly wrong.”
In his speech to parliament last week, Mr Ewing apologised to rural Scotland over his government’s handling of the fiasco.
The government’s failure to deliver the CAP payments has led to widespread condemnation from opposition parties in recent months.
SNP ministers have also been criticised after the Press and Journal revealed some farmers could be charged interest on government-backed emergency loans they have only had to take out because the CAP money has not been delivered on time.