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CAP Reform and Scotland
Debate about the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) continues apace.
This page provides a review of key developments in the debate in 2010 and 2011 and links to some of the key documents relating to CAP reform and its implications for Scottish farmers, including briefings and commentary produced by the Rural Policy Centre. Also, check out some of our other hot topics for further commentary on the CAP reform debate.
Key Developments in 2011
In early January 2011 Secretary of State Caroline Spelman spoke at the Oxford Farming Conference and outlined the emerging UK position on the future of the CAP. Following this, in mid-January, the UK's devolved administrations issued a joint statement setting out the priority areas that they wished the UK to puruse in forthcoming negotiations about the CAP.
On March 16th, the Scottish Government hosted a conference on 'The Future CAP for Scotland', which included a discussion of some of the challenges for the post-2013 CAP and heard from speakers from other parts of Europe on how CAP had been implemented in their countries and their views on the future of the Policy. The Rural Policy Centre subsequently produced a Policy Briefing which discussed the views of SAC staff on the issues raised at the Conference and on the broader CAP reform debate.
The Scottish Government has also set up a Future CAP Stakeholder Group to offer advice on the implications for Scotland of EC proposals for post-2013 CAP reform. The Group will also offer views on the Scottish priorities for CAP reform that emerged from the Pack Inquiry, wider discussion/consultation and on other analysis of the evidence base. Sub-groups may also be set-up to discuss specific issues as they arise. The Group will be in existence for the duration of negotiations and for the implementation phase of the new regulations that emerge.
In June 2011, the European Commission produced its proposals for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2014-2020. Overall, the CAP's share of total commitments is estimated at 36%, representing a small decline compared to its share in the current (2007-2013) period. Amongst other things, the Commission proposes that: the CAP retain its two Pillar structure; Pillar 1 payments be 'greened'; direct payments be reserved for 'active farmers'; and that EUR 4.5 billion be ring-fenced in the research and innovation budget for research on food security, the bio-economy and sustainable agriculture. The proposals represent the first stage in the MFF negotiations, which will not be concluded until 2012 at the earliest.
The Commission released its legislative proposals for the CAP after 2013 on 12th October 2011. The proposals are designed to make the CAP a more effective policy for a more competitive and sustainable agriculture and vibrant rural areas. They are accompanied by an impact assessment that evaluates alternative scenarios for the evolution of the policy on the basis of extensive quantitative and qualitative analysis.
Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, issued a response to the Commission’s proposals, and David Barnes (Deputy Director for Agriculture and Rural Development at the Scottish Government) is writing a ‘CAP Reform Blog’ to keep stakeholders informed about the progress of CAP reform negotiations.
The Rural Policy Centre will be publishing a range of outputs over the coming months to inform the evidence base on the potential impact of the CAP reform proposals for Scottish farming. Please visit this page regularly to find links to these new publications.
Further information
- Recent Rural Policy Centre commentary on the importance of CAP reform to Scottish farmers
- Secretary of State Caroline Spelman's speech at the Oxford Farming Conference in January 2011
- Joint statement by devolved administrations on future CAP priorities
- More information and presentations from the Scottish Government's 'Future CAP for Scotland' conference
- The Rural Policy Centre's Policy Briefing on 'The Future CAP for Scotland'
- More information on the Scottish Government's CAP Stakeholder Group
- The European Commission's 'Budget for Europe 2020'
- The Commission’s legislative proposals released on October 12th 2011
- Richard Lochhead’s response to the Commission’s proposals
- David Barnes’ CAP Reform blog
Key Developments in 2010
On 3rd November 2010, the Scottish Government's 'Inquiry into future support for agriculture in Scotland' ('Pack Inquiry') produced its final report. This was followed soon after in mid-May by the publication of the European Commission's 'Communication on the CAP towards 2020' which outlined a series of options for the future of the CAP.