Committee backs Lyon over farm penalties

5.00.45pm GMT Tue 16th Mar 2010

George Lyon, Liberal Democrat MEP for Scotland, has welcomed the European Agriculture Committee's backing of his amendments to the CAP Simplification Report that ensure the criteria and penalties for non-compliance are applied in a proportionate manner.

Mr Lyon put down the amendments after numerous complaints from Scottish farmers that the Scottish Government was punishing producers with large fines for relatively minor transgressions.

Commenting after the vote in Brussels, Mr Lyon said:

"I welcome the Committees backing of my amendments to the CAP simplification report.

"While farmers recognise that penalties must be a part of any effective animal control system, these penalties must be proportionate and transparent.

"It is absurd that farmers who had two or three passports errors are being fined thousands of pounds for what is a minor mistake.

"These harsh penalties handed out by the Scottish Government in this regard undermine the legitimacy of the penalty system. The European Agriculture Committee has sent a clear signal to the European Commission that this heavy handed approach must end."

The Committee also backed Mr Lyon's amendments calling for a moratorium on penalties for EID breaches.

Mr Lyon added:

"The three year moratorium granted to sheep farmers will go some way to repairing the damage that was done by introducing this unnecessary and unwanted measure.

"Continued reliability issues with the tag readers also makes EID largely unworkable and a period a grace before penalties are handed out is the only sensible way forward."