On 7 February, round two of the EU Budget negotiations begins. For those of you that have not been following this saga, 27 Heads of State need to agree how to spend about a trillion Euros over the 2014-2020. Their meeting next week is the latest attempt to thrash out a deal. The last time they met, the bits of the Budget that offer the best value for taxpayers money and supported the environment, seemed to be most at risk of being traded away.
Our major concern remains the fate of funding which supports wildlife-friendly farming (the so-called Pillar II of the Common Agriculture Policy). This provides a lifeline for species such as turtle dove and cirl bunting as well as supporting farmers to deliver environmental public goods which the market doesn’t reward.
We've produced this short video to explain the significance of the Budget:
We hope that it inspires people to contact the Prime Minister and give him a clear message to agree a Budget that works for wildlife.
All the staff in RSPB are "nice" people and I really do not wish to offend with my comments; I believe as passionately as you do about the wild world. I would urge RSPB to recognise that its charitable role is in fact not powerful and independent enough to fight the big interests against which it and the natural world we all love is arraigned. The kid gloves have to come off or you will simply fail in your mission. If your tactics re CAP bear dividend but I will bet 1 quid and give it to the next appeal at odds of 100-1 that I am not wrong ie I lay down 100 pound that is 1 per cent of my annual income that in the clash of national interests wildlife is bottom of the can.
Why have you not targetted the top 2100 recipients on over 100 g a year and run a campaign at this grotesquely imbalanced budget allied with small farmers who across Europe feel the competitive cut of large farms.
Peter Plover