Key environmental recommendations of the Curry
Report and the potential role of the 2003 CAP reform agreement:
| Rec no* | Recommendation
| Role for CAP |
1 | Substantial CAP reform
| CAP reform was substantial—but the benefits will only be seen if the UK makes full use of the instruments offered in the package.
|
7 | Demonstration farms
| The developing network offers little advice on the environment. Demonstration farms should be a key part of the Farm Advisory Service and must be able to demonstrate good environmental practice.
|
29 | Whole farm approach to
regulation
| Enforcement and inspection of cross-compliance must be part of a whole farm approach to regulation. The best way to achieve this is through specialist agencies, not a separate visit that will cause more duplication and bureaucracy. Defra's developing whole farm approach should be used to co-ordinate regulatory activity.
|
54 | Strategy for non-food crops
| CAP makes provision for the growth of energy crops on set-aside land. Safeguards must be in place to prevent damage to soil and water.
|
60 | Implementation strategy for
Environmental Directives
| The Agency believes that it is vital that Defra takes a more strategic view of the role of CAP in contributing to delivery of environmental obligations to avoid more costly and prescriptive last-minute solutions.
|
59 | Supporting farmers as sustainers of the rural environment
| The CAP implementation must provide this support, through effective use of National Envelopes, agri-environment schemes and properly accredited and resourced advice.
|
62 | Creating a WTO proof market
for public goods
| The MTR package moves the CAP towards a more market-driven—and hence WTO—philosophy. What is needed in parallel is support for the delivery of public goods through the effective use of additional modulation, cross compliance and national envelopes.
|
63 & 68 | Progressive transfer to Pillar II to reward environmental benefits. Increase modulation to 10% from 2004 and 20% from 2007
| The level of transfer in the 2003 CAP agreement is disappointing, and coupled with a low historic allocation of rural development funding in the UK means that the Agency believes that Ministers must maximise the amount of voluntary modulation applied. The UK must continue to press for a fairer allocation of funds.
|
65-67 | Use envelopes for the
environment
| Envelopes provide a unique opportunity to develop farm businesses towards environmental priorities. We believe that the UK must take up this part of the package.
|
69, 70 | Simplified agri-environment
scheme and the whole farm audit. Introduce a higher-tier
stewardship scheme
| National envelopes could support the advice and training needed to help farmers into agri-environment schemes and to conduct auditing and planning activities. The WFA and IACS systems need to be well co-ordinated to prevent duplication of compliance activities.
|
72 | Introduction of ELS
| The Agency is very supportive of this scheme. It is essential that the soil and water protection measures within it are retained. Moving these into cross-compliance in the short-term will be counter-productive. Voluntary modulation will be required to fund the ELS.
|
75 | Organic strand for ELS
| Work on the organic strand for the ELS is progressing. The Agency believes that organic farming should be supported through the rural development budget, and not through national envelopes as has been suggested.
|
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