The CAP distributes some £600 million per year in Scotland, through Pillar 1 (direct support) and Pillar 2 (rural development) payments. Its future is therefore important in determining what happens on the 75% of Scotland’s land area that is under agricultural management, and the unique countryside and wildlife associated with it. Scottish Environment LINK believes that the Commission’s proposals, although far from radical, may present some opportunities for distributing CAP funding in Scotland in ways that encourage increased delivery of environmental public goods, as a precursor to the more radical reforms anticipated for 2013. However, there are also environmental threats contained within the proposals, not least the proposal to abolish set-aside.
Response to the European Commissions 1st Public Consultation on the CAP “Health Check”