The European Commissioner for Agriculture, Dacian Cioloş, has today (Thursday) presented the Commission's proposals for the shape of a future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to members of the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee.  SNP MEP Alyn Smith has hailed the Communication, and commended Scotland's Brian Pack for his ability to foresee and match the position of the Commission in his blueprint for reform of Scottish Agriculture.

Smith has published an initial brief on the contents of the proposal, but key points are that it, at the very outset, stresses the importance of food security, and the primary purpose of the CAP being to maintain food production by focussing direct payments on active farmers producing food.  This is in outright opposition to the view of some member states, the UK Treasury in particular, who want to see direct payments ended.  The Commission, like Brian Pack, proposes moving LFA to the heart of Pillar 1, as a direct payment, and introduce an additional "green component" which looks similar in operation to Brian Pack's proposed "top up fund".

Smith said:

"I had never thought that Brian Pack had the gift of second sight but I think we shall call him 'Mystic Brian' from now on!  Today's publication from the Commission very closely mirrors the Pack Report, and while both remain work in progress as we gradually piece together a final position on a future CAP, I am glad to see that Scotland's views are well-represented so far.

"The Communication presented today only underlines that Scotland is very much at the mainstream of European thinking on the future of farming, markedly at odds with dear old Blighty whose anti-farming agenda, especially over the EU budget, is very much the odd man out in Europe.

"We've still got a long road ahead before we have a final CAP package, but what is clear is that we have it all to play for.  Scotland has a vast stake in the reform of the CAP and it is vital that it is represented in any final agreement."