Britain in Europe & Agriculture

Originally from: David
                        
I found this on http://www.britainineurope.org.uk/home.phtml

Could have something to do with why I am not an NFU member.

Agriculture

 1.. British farmers would be better off if we left the EU.
This is untrue. Ben Gill, President of the NFU, has said: \x{201C}Membership of

the EU is vital to the interests of British farmers. Over three-quarters of our

agricultural commodity exports go to the EU and this share is only likely to

grow with the further enlargement of the EU. Looking ahead, the signs are

that the whole of the food chain will become increasingly integrated on a

European scale. Our future as part of a competitive food industry depends

on continuing membership of the Union.\x{201D}1

2. Outside the EU, we could go back to the more generous system of

agricultural support we used before we joined the European

Common Agricultural Policy.

This is untrue. Lord Prior, the former Conservative Agriculture Minister and

member of the anti-European group New Europe, has admitted: \x{201C}The

reform of agricultural support was one of the main planks in the 1970

election campaign. Reform would have been necessary, even without our

plan to join the European Community. The system of support for farmers,

through \x{2018}deficiency payments\x{2019} \x{2026} was coming under increasing strain \x{2026}

the new scheme we proposed was gradually to replace these subsidies.\x{201D}2

3. British farmers would be better off if Britain ruled out the option to

join a successful single currency.

This is untrue. The NFU has estimated that in 1999 British farmers lost

£450 million because of the high Pound. This position would continue

indefinitely outside the euro-zone. Ben Gill, NFU President, has said:

\x{201C}Farmers, I believe, are more exposed to the £/ecu or £/euro exchangerate

risk than any other industry \x{2026} I think there is a danger for British

agriculture if we stay out for too long.\x{201D}3

4. The BSE crisis was exacerbated by EU policies.

This is untrue. Most evidence shows that the BSE crisis was caused in the

main by British food production policies and little, if anything to do with EU

policies. The EU has actually provided 70 per cent of the compensation costs

of taking older beef out of the food chain, helping to solve the BSE crisis.

5. British beef sales would be better off if we were outside the EU.

This is untrue. In March 2001 membership of the EU meant that British

beef was on sale in thirteen EU countries but at the same time it was still

banned in 103 other countries across the world from America, Australia

and Malta through Singapore, Switzerland and even Uzbekistan.4

Straight Bananas? 5

6. Membership of the EU means we can do nothing to stop the French

from banning our beef.

This is untrue. It is only because we are members of the EU that the

European Commission is taking action against France to ensure that it

honours its obligations under the EU treaties.

7. The EU prevented Britain from vaccinating against Foot and Mouth.

This is untrue. EU rules allow for vaccination against Foot and Mouth in

extreme circumstances \x{2013} a policy used successfully in the Netherlands.

The decision not to vaccinate in this country was taken solely by the

British government on the advice given to it by its scientific advisors.

8. \x{201C}The European Commission\x{2019}s long-term plan [is] to abolish livestock

farming in the UK and make it an area of only crop-raising.\x{201D}5

This is untrue. There are no EU plans to abolish livestock farming in this

country and the Commission has no powers to do such a thing even if it

wanted to.