Robert Sturdy

Eastern Region MEP Robert Sturdy has today cautiously welcomed a European Commission promise of assistance to farmers if they are to meet a target of a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.

EU farmers must slash agricultural greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20% by 2020, EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel said yesterday. But Mr Sturdy is concerned how farmers will manage to meet these targets in the present economic climate.

Despite European farmers already succeeding to reduce emissions by 20% from their 1990 levels, Mrs Fischer Boel has called on farmers to do more by further cutting levels of methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide emissions.

However, the Commissioner has promised help for farmers to make the necessary changes, mainly by balancing a series of strong incentives with binding requirements.

Mr Sturdy, a member of the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee, said: “While I welcome the Commissioner’s promises of increased assistance to farmers to make their target of a 20% reduction, I do not think that her comments are very well timed.

“With prices for staples such as wheat and diary currently well below those of production, how some farmers could currently afford the changes required is beyond me. The Commission needs to do more to make sure farmers receive real market prices for their produce before asking them to make expensive changes to combat climate change.”