Does the CAP fit?

In short, the answer is no.

We are, as expected, disappointed with the new draft Common Agriculture Policy regulations.  We still need to get to grips with all of the detail, but the proposals are consistent with earlier statements and recent rumours.  This means there is likely to be a reduced pot of funds to support wildlife-friendly farming - down about 7%.  The summary here provides a good overview of the proposals.  Or (for the real policy wonks), here if you want to read the detail (in French, German or English).

The CAP is not just an esoteric policy debate.  It really matters. 

It matters to farmers who need clear signals from Brussels to help them structure their business for the long term.  It matters to European taxpayers who deserve good value for money from the 400 billion euros that will be spent on the CAP from 2014-2020.  It matters to farmland wildlife that need to co-exist in harmony with land managers across Europe.  And, it matters to Defra ministers - they need a bolstered pot of funds to support farmers who want to manage their land for wildlife.  Without these funds, they will fail in their ambition to "protect wildlife and... restore biodiversity".

The new big idea is making 30% of direct payments conditional on farmers putting in place environmental measures.  These include a basic requirement to put a proportion of farmland into environmental management.  This is welcome, but on its own this will not restore the wildlife in our farmed countryside.  Our experience is that to achieve that aim we also need to make more money available for targeted, scientifically robust schemes that benefit threatened species such as cirl bunting and turtle dove as well as diverting much needed resources to High Nature Value farms which are so rich in wildlife.  

Reassuringly, it seems that we have been successful in arguing for a retention of minimum spend on agri-environment schemes: "Member States are still required to maintain 25% of their Rural Development envelope on issues related to land management and the fight against climate change".  This was not referenced in previous drafts that we had seen and it is a relief to see it has found its way back.

But these are just proposals. Now is the moment for the UK Government to translate admirable rhetoric about reform of the CAP into clever footwork in Brussels that will turn these disappointing proposals around. They have until 2014 to make a difference.

My concern is the economic crisis in Europe means that the fate of the CAP is still tied to the wider debate about the EU Budget.  Political leades across Europe all have their red lines and many (including the UK) want to see the size of the Budget frozen or even reduced.  When the push comes to shove, I still fear that it will be Pillar II of the CAP (the bit that includes the wildlife-friendly farming schemes) that will be traded away as this is the bit of the CAP that requires match funds from cash-strapped treasuries across Europe.

Our plea to the UK Treasury is not to focus myopically on protecting the rebate and the size of the Budget, but also get stuck in to the detail of the negotiations and argue for quality of spend.  That is the only way to ensure that the best bits of the CAP are retained so that taxpayers get value for money and farmers can continue to be rewarded for providing an attractive countryside rich in wildlife..  

[The photo shows the habitat of circl bunting from the RSPB nature reserve in Labrador Bay, Devon]