The Common Agricultural Policy too often got a bad press from a largely negative focus while totally ignoring the hugely positive benefits which consumers gained from the CAP.

This was stated by Independent MEP Marian Harkin when she spoke in a debate in the European Parliament on proposals to make CAP spending more transparent.  Deputy Harkin supported the EU regulation as a measure that would ensure greater transparency while also helping to dispel some of the exaggerated myths that surrounded the CAP.  However she stressed that there was also a requirement for transparency in relation to the spending of structural and other funds.  

As the time for the CAP ‘health check’ drew near the bad press the policy has received needs to be counter balanced, she said.   This could be done by highlighting the fact that since the introduction of the CAP, food price inflation was way below overall inflation leading to the delivery of cheaper food to EU consumers.  The CAP had also delivered safe and traceable food while also improving the environment and animal welfare, she said.

Insufficient respect was currently being given to EU food security, Marian Harkin said, and was being derided as if it was a policy from the dark ages.  She concluded “ The world has enough food stocks to feed itself for how long – one week maybe.  Just consider the pressure that will come about when we really begin to grow fuel as opposed to food.  Consider the pressure that will come about when emerging economies like India and China compete with the EU for food and for fuel grown instead of food – then we will look to the EU and the CAP for food security.

“The CAP like any policy has its problems but it has delivered for EU citizens and this Regulation will help ensure that it continues to deliver in an open and transparent way”.

To view Marian speaking in the European Parliament on the subject, click here.