By Jenna Hegarty, Senior Agriculture Policy Officer
For the first time ever, the European Parliament (led by the agriculture committee) shares decision-making powers with EU Member States in this round of CAP reform. This means that our MEPs will help shape one of the most powerful drivers of how our farmland is managed. As the next CAP will run to 2020, a year which coincides with the renewed EU targets for halting and reversing biodiversity declines, it’s even more important to ensure farmers are properly supported and rewarded to make space for nature and the environment alongside food production on their farms.
To this end, the RSPB are currently running an e-action calling on MEPs to ‘step up for nature’ as part of this CAP reform round. This means ensuring Pillar 2 (and agri-environment) gets enough funding, High Nature Value farming systems are properly supported and new greening measures are designed in a way which delivers genuine environment improvements. If you’d like to join the thousands who already participated, please go to www.rspb.org.uk/capreform
Barn owl: John Bridges (rspb-images.com)
Hi Heather,filled in the form and sent to lady MEP.