Leading Articles

Latest

• Government scared of rise in Euroscepticism
• The Stony Stand-off
• Coalition's Europe failure: One year on
• Nigel on UN speaking rights for EU
• English Democrats urged to jump ship
• Nigel back as UKIP Leader
• The UKIP leadership contest
• Jeffrey Titford named interim leader
• UKIP questions in the House of Lords

CAP reply not good enough

Friday, 16th July 2010

Following an unsatisfactory response from Lord Henly on EU support for reform of the Common Agricutural and Fisheries policies, UKIP Leader Lord Pearson has issued a follow-up question to the Government.

The new question is as follows:

Lord Pearson of Rannoch to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 12 July (WA 97), which European Union countries support their position on reform of the Common Agricultural and Fisheries policies; and what voting power those countries have in the Council of Ministers. [DEFRA]   HL1354

Lord Pearson's previous question:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 29 June (WA 264), which other European Union countries support their proposed reform of the common fisheries policy; which are opposed to it; and what system of voting would apply to proposals for reform.[HL989]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): There is broad agreement across the EU about the case for reform, including the need to decentralise and simplify the current complex regulations. Few, if any, member states support the status quo, though views vary as to the changes needed.

Ordinary legislative procedure would apply to a legislative decision on reform, meaning that both the Council of the European Union, and the European Parliament, would need to approve reform proposals, according to the voting rules and procedures in the relevant treaty provisions; most particularly Articles 231, 238, 289 and 294 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and Article 16 (and the attached protocol on transitional provisions) of the Treaty on the European Union.

Back to Leading Articles