Consultation on proposals for the `Health Check’ of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
CAP Reform and EU StrategyDefra
5D Millbank
C/O 17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR
Telephone 020 7238 4273
Website www.defra.gov.uk
9 June 2008
Dear Consultee
Consultation on proposals for the `Health Check’ of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
1. I am writing to invite views on the proposed “`Health Check’” reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy and their potential impacts on the UK. This is an important review of the CAP that could potentially have significant implications, particularly for farmers across the EU, as well as enhancing the delivery of environmental benefits through farming for the environment and for cutting prices for consumers. The European Commission’s Health Check proposals cover three broad themes:
- Improving the Single Payment Scheme;
- Improving market orientation; and
- Responding to new environmental challenges.
An explanation of the proposals is contained in a brief summary, with more details in the Commission’s own Guide to the Health Check – both of which are available as part of this consultation. An initial impact assessment of the proposals for the UK, and a paper setting out the Government’s response to the European Commission’s November communication on the Health Check are also available.
Your views on the proposals – as well as on the UK impact assessment - will help to inform the UK’s approach to negotiations in the EU on the Health Check. Therefore I would particularly welcome supporting evidence you may be able to provide.
2. The following supporting documents may be found on Defra’s website: www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/cap-healthcheck/
- This consultation letter
- List of consultees
- Summary of the proposed CAP Health Check
- Link to the European Commission’s own Guide to the Health Check proposals
- Link to the full proposals on the European Commission web site
- Government draft impact assessment
- Government response to Commission’s November communication on the Health Check setting out our aims for the Health Check.
3. We welcome your views and comments on the proposals. If you wish to obtain a paper copy of this consultation. Please contact:
Stephen Steele
CAP Reform and EU Strategy
5D Millbank
C/O 17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR
Telephone: 0207 238 4273
Email: CAPReform@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Responses
4. Please send responses to the address or email address above
5. Responses should be received by 1 September 2008
Consultation Criteria
This consultation is in line with the Code of practice on Consultations. This can be found at on the Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform website
6. When this consultation ends, we intend to put a copy of the responses in the Defra library at Ergon House, London. This is so that the public can see them. Also, members of the public may ask for a copy of responses under freedom of information legislation.
7. If you do not want your response - including your name, contact details and any other personal information – to be publicly available, please say so clearly in writing when you send your response to the consultation. Please note, if your computer automatically includes a confidentiality disclaimer, that won’t count as a confidentiality request.
8. Please explain why you need to keep details confidential. We will take your reasons into account if someone asks for this information under freedom of information legislation. But, because of the law, we cannot promise that we will always be able to keep those details confidential.
We will summarise all responses and place this summary on our website at www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/cap-healthcheck/. This summary will include a list of names of organisations that responded but not people’s personal names, addresses or other contact details.
To see consultation responses and summaries, please contact the library at:
Defra
Information Resource Centre
Lower Ground Floor
Ergon House
17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR
Telephone: 020-7238-6575
Email: defra.library@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Please give the library 24 hours’ notice. There is a charge for photocopying and postage.
9. If you have any comments or complaints about the consultation process, please address them to Marjorie Addo, Defra’s Consultation Co-ordinator, Area 7C Nobel House,17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR, or email consultation.coordinator@defra.gsi.gov.uk.
10. Thank you for your help in this matter. If you have any queries please contact us as above.
Yours sincerely,
Stephen Steele
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Page published: 9 June 2008