‘Intolerable’ low levels of EU support for crofters 15/3/13
SNP MSP Alasdair Allan has criticised the operation of the European Common Agriculture
Policy (CAP) which leaves Scotland’s crofters and farmers getting less than a quarter
of the agricultural subsidies paid to similar sized countries such as Ireland and
Finland.
Speaking following a debate at Holyrood, Dr Allan said this was an “intolerable”
situation for crofters in particular, and said it was “no coincidence” that Europe’s
small independent countries were massively ahead of Scotland in securing a better
deal from CAP.
Alasdair Allan commented: “Scotland’s crofters and farmers currently get some of
the lowest levels of EU support anywhere in Europe. Scotland has the fourth lowest
“pillar one” single farm payments of any country. We currently receive 48% of the
European average, while farms in England receive 85%. The situation with “pillar
two” payments for rural development is even worse – Scotland is at the very bottom
of the European league for these payments.”
He added: “For Scotland’s crofters, working some of Europe’s least favoured agricultural
land, this is an intolerable situation. It is made even more frustrating by analysis
which shows that, as an independent EU member state, Scotland would be entitled to
an extra £250 million in agricultural support by 2020.”
Mr Allan said: “That’s why the Scottish Parliament voted last night to back independence
as the best option for Scotland’s crofters and farmers, accepting the argument that
only as an independent member state is Scotland likely to have any say in how European
moneys are disbursed. It is also pretty clear that the Scottish and UK Governments
are now of completely different views about the future of the EU’s support for agriculture
but, because the UK is the member state, it’s the UK’s position that crofters in
the Western Isles have to put up with this.
“Until the European Parliament and Commission come to agreement about CAP’s future,
Scotland will be unable to second guess how it can be implemented here. There has
to be a better way of doing things than this, and the Scottish Parliament made clear
last night that this involves Scotland being at Europe’s top table, and not represented
at it by another government.”