LIB DEM MEP WELCOMES NFU MANIFESTO (Fiona Hall MEP)

Fiona Hall MEP <info@fionahall.org.uk>

LIB DEM MEP WELCOMES NFU MANIFESTO

April 15, 2009 12:00 AM

Meurig Raymond (NFU Deputy President) and Fiona

Following the launch of the National Farmers' Union's (NFU) manifesto for the 2009 European Parliament Elections, North East Lib Dem MEP Fiona Hall said:

"I welcome the launch of this document, which spells out that on agricultural matters MEPs have a vital role to play, and one which is set to increase.

"I particularly welcome the NFU's call for mandatory country-of-origin labelling, which would help consumers who wanted to choose to "shop local" and support their local producers. The current rules on labelling can be deliberately misleading - for example, "British" bacon may only have been packaged in Britain..

"European legislation has sometimes failed to take proper account of farmers, as the deeply flawed process on the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive recently showed. I support the NFU's call for more use of sunset clauses, which would allow outdated legislation to be reviewed."

Fiona also welcomed the NFU's stance on Less Favoured Areas, which stresses that the upcoming review must continue to support active farmers suffering real handicaps and give special consideration to where farming underpins the economic, environmental and social dimension of rural life.

Said Fiona: "Given that the UK is the fifth largest recipient of EU funding for agriculture, with British farmers receiving €55 billion a year in payments under the CAP, it is vital to get EU agriculture policy right, and I look forward to continuing to work with the NFU to achieve this."