This article is from page 38 of the 2007-06-12 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 38 JPG
OUTGOING Agriculture Miu£inis- ter, Mary Coughlan, has put a shot across the bough of the EU ahead of a Council of Agriculture Ministers meeting which takes place later to- day, June 12.
Setting out her stall ahead of the meeting, Coughlan pointed to the contentious issue of cross-compli- ance as one of her main targets for reform. With the areas of concern for farmers already well established, Coughlan has called for a number of amendments to the commission’s proposals to be agreed upon and made operational in a reasonable time-frame.
The Donegal TD commented that she had made the ministers in the council, the commissioners and the president of the council well aware of the principal concerns of farmers in the areas of cross-compliance and simplification.
“Tam happy about Ireland’s initia- tive on many of the issues, not least the need for adequate advance notice of inspections which recognised the practical realities of modern-day farming,’ she said.
“Tam well aware that there is still a long way to go to convince the com- mission and to secure the necessary changes to cross-compliance = ar- rangements.
“T will be doing my utmost at the
council to get my fellow ministers and the commissioner to understand and accept the need for reform of the cross-compliance requirements in a way that reduces red tape and recognises the practical situation on Teena
In tandem with the commission’s proposals on its review of cross- compliance, the minister said that her department had undertaken a review of the paperwork associated with cross-compliance inspections with a view to simplification and a practical approach.
The inspection report forms have been substantially reviewed and will now be discussed with the farming bodies.
Coughlan pointed out that the pa- perwork involved in the inspections is internal department documenta- tion for use by the department in- spector only and under no circum- stances do these documents have to be filled in by the farmer.
“The fact is that the farmer being inspected does not have to complete any paperwork apart from signing the inspection report if he or she so wishes,” she continued.
Two thirds of the 7,000 or so farm- ers to be inspected in 2007 will be checked for no more than two of the 18 cross-compliance requirements while the number of inspections at 7,000 is down from approximately 18,000 before decoupling.