Supplementary Memorandum by the Ministry
of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (B10 21(a))
FIELD MARGINS
1. At its meeting on 16 May the Committee
asked for a note on progress towards finding a permanent solution
to the issue of the maximum acceptable width for field margins
when included in claims for area aid under the Integrated Administration
and Control System (IACS).
2. On 24 March the Minister of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Food announced that he had, that day, received a
letter from EU Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler agreeing
that the UK should, for 2000, continue to use the same criteria
as in 1999 and previous years for determining the acceptability
of field margins for IACS purposes. The Ministry subsequently
wrote to all IACS applicants to explain this to them.
3. Since then MAFF officials have been working
with the Commission in order to clarify exactly what types of
field margins will be acceptable for inclusion in area aid claims
from 2001 onwards and to identify ways of safeguarding margins,
including hedges, so that we can reach a permanent resolution
of this issue. The Minister discussed the matter with Commissioner
Fischler on 19 June and contacts continue between officials and
the Commission. It is not possible to say with certainty what
the final outcome will be but all concerned are aware of the urgency.
4. Meetings to discuss the field margins
issue have been held between MAFF officials and representatives
of various statutory and non-statutory environmental organisations
and of the farming industry, including English Nature, the Countryside
Agency, the Farming and Rural Conservation Agency, Wildlife and
Countryside Link, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds,
the National Farmers Union, and the Country Landowners Association.
All of these bodies share the Government's objective of reaching
rapid agreement with the Commission on a permanent solution to
the field margins issue which enhances, not undermines, the environment.
June 2000
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