UFU Rejects Scottish CAP Redistribution Suggestions
NORTHERN IRELAND, UK - The Ulster Farmers’ Union has rejected suggestions from Scottish MEP George Lyons that CAP funding should be re-distributed within the UK, and in particular his call to re-distribute funds from Northern Ireland to Scotland.
24 August 2011
2 minute read
The EU Commission has recommended that as part of the reformed CAP post 2013, CAP funding may be re-distributed between member states.
These proposals apply to member states as a whole and would have little impact on how CAP funding is distributed within the UK; however Mr Lyons is calling for the proposals to be extended so they can be applied within the UK.
UFU President John Thompson said: “Our focus is on ensuring Northern Ireland agriculture realises its enormous potential and that will require securing the maximum possible funding from the CAP to invest in the sector."
"I completely reject George Lyons divisive argument that funding should be re-distributed from Northern Ireland to Scotland; if he believes Scotland needs additional funding, then his focus should be on going to the EU to seek additional funds, not trying to pinch funding from his neighbour."
"We understand that the Scottish Farming industry should be able to do what is right for themselves, but it certainly should not be at the expense of family farms in Northern Ireland. Our objective in the CAP reform negotiations will be to secure the maximum funding for Northern Ireland to enable our farm businesses to prosper and deliver on our potential to become a strategically important food producing region."
"CAP funding is an absolutely vital funding stream for our local farms and it simply isn’t an option to strip funding from one region of the UK to give to another”.
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